 |
|
|
Rain in Chittagong, sunshine in Bogra
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Vaas taken to
hospital
Bob’s autopsy report ‘misled’ police
India to host 2010 Asia Cup
Sasikiran retains lead
After Morocco, Sania eyes Istanbul
Selection trials
|
|
Chittagong, May 20 The two umpires, Billy Doctrove and Daryl Harper, decided to cancel the day’s play in consultation with curator Shaiful Alam Belal after inspecting the conditions. The rain, which had allowed only 20 overs of play yesterday, continued throughout the night and there was more downpour this morning also leading to water logging on the ground at the Bir Sreshta Shahid Ruhul Amin Stadium. It created several puddles in the outfield, which could have led to injuries to the players and there was no sunshine either since morning. The overcast conditions made it impossible to dry the ground in time to squeeze in even a few overs. The grounds men were on their job since early morning but they could do little in the face of adverse weather conditions. Belal had earlier conceded that due to the clay soil in the lower layer, drainage was a problem at the venue in case of rains. Earlier, the third and final one dayer between the two sides had also been washed out at the same venue on May 15 following rains triggered by ‘Hurricane Akash’. The organisers have decided that play would start half an hour early tomorrow to partially compensate for the lost time. But with around 12 hours of playing time already lost, the sports buffs are keeping their fingers crossed. BCCI satisfied with Whatmore meeting
New Delhi: After a series of denials yesterday, the BCCI today said that they have discussed with Dav Whatmore his interest in coaching the Indian team. BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said he was “satisfied” with his “brief meeting” with Whatmore in Bangladesh and would report his feedback to the seven-member committee appointed to find a new coach for the Indian team. “I met with him yesterday. I will report the details to the committee,” Shah, who returned from Bangladesh this morning, told PTI. “I am satisfied with the meeting. It was a brief meeting, it lasted for 5-10 minutes. Whatmore expressed his desire to coach India,” he added. Shah along with BCCI president Sharad Pawar, administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty and vice-president Rajeev Shukla were in Bangladesh yesterday on an invitation from the host board. Shah and Pawar denied during their press briefing that the purpose of their visit was to have a discussion with Whatmore who has emerged as a major contender for the post vacated by Greg Chappell. Asked about the turn of events, Shah said, “Whatmore wanted to meet me. I couldn’t say ‘no’.” He had earlier said that the committee, which includes former captains Ravi Shastri, S. Venkataraghavan and Sunil Gavaskar, would meet in Bangalore on June 4 and the new coach would be named four-five days later.
McInnes set to be B’desh coach
Dhaka: Australian Richard McInnes, who guided Bangladesh to the under-19 World Cup plate title in 2004, is all set to replace Dave Whatmore as Bangladesh's cricket coach. "His name would be announced by June 2," a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official was quoted as saying. "A final decision on the coach is just days away, but we have zeroed in on Richard McInnes. The talks with him are in a very advanced stage," he added. McInnes, also a former senior coach at Australia's Centre of Excellence, was junior Bangladesh coach when the team beat Australia to win the plate title at the u-19 World Cup held in Bangladesh. Whatmore is to leave Bangladesh after four-year tenure that ends on May 29 with the ongoing two-match Test series against India. "We talked to 10 coaches from different countries, except England, and decided McInnes would be best suited to our requirements. We consulted the players who gave their consent on McInnes," the official explained. BCB official said McInnes' salary would be less than that of Whatmore, who was getting between $120,000 and 130,000 per year.
— PTI, ANI
|
|
Rain in Chittagong, sunshine in Bogra
Chittagong, May 20 They say that Chittagong was allotted the match due to Bangladesh Cricket Board politics. A total of 173 overs of play were lost on the first three days of the Test at the Ruhul Amin Stadium, including a complete washout today. On Tuesday, the third one-day international was abandoned without a ball being bowled for the same reason. Experts have questioned the wisdom of the BCB in allotting the Test to this city near the Bay of Bengal in a month when it always rains. They say that national politics, which affects the BCB, may have caused Bogra, already an international venue, to lose out to Chittagong. A cricket official from Bogra said it was shining brightly in that city today while it was raining continuously here. “They should have allotted this match to Bogra, as it was that city’s turn to host the Test,” he claimed, pointing to the BCB’s rotation policy for allotting international matches. BCB president Mohammad Abdul Aziz defended the decision to allot the Test to Chittagong, though he avoided a question on the rotation policy. “May is the rainy season, but nobody can forecast that it would have rained (during the Test). Last year, when we hosted a Test against Australia in April, there was no rain,” Aziz told IANS. “Bogra will also host matches. We are interested in giving matches to all venues,” he said. Bogra hosted its lone Test against Sri Lanka in March last year and five one-day internationals. It has won praise from all the visiting captains. — IANS
|
|
Abu Dhabi, May 20 Opener Salman Butt (74) top-scored for Pakistan, while leg-spinner Malinga Bandara (three for 56) was the pick of the bowlers. Yasir Hameed scored 50, while Kamran Akmal got 38. All-rounder Shahid Afridi, who had smashed a match-winning 73 off just 34 balls in the first match, contributed with the ball this time, picking up three wickets for 37 runs. Scoreboard
Pakistan Butt c&b Bandara 74 Nazir b Fernando 17 Hameed c&b Bandara 50 Yousuf run out 37 Malik b Bandara 27 Akmal c Dilshan b Maharoof 38 Afridi c Bandara b Maharoof 1 Razzaq b Fernando 16 Sami b Maharoof 22 Gul not out 0 Asif not out 5 Extras (lb-5, w-17, nb-4) 26 Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 313 Fall of wickets: 1-45, 2-143, 3-167, 4-207, 5-233, 6-237, 7-277, 8-308, 9-308. Bowling: Perera 10-2-67-0, Fernando 10-0-71-2, Maharoof 10-0-65-3, Bandara 10-0-56-3, Dilshan 10-0-49-0. Sri Lanka Tharanga c Nazir b Afridi 48 Kapugedera b Sami 20 Warnapura lbw Asif 5 M. Jayawardene b Asif 61 Silva c Razzaq b Afridi 21 Dilshan lbw Malik 10 P. Jayawardene lbw Afridi 1 Maharoof c Butt b Sami 17 Bandara c Hameed b Gul 11 Fernando not out 2 Perera b Gul 0 Extras (b-1, lb-7, w-5, nb-6) 19 Total (all out, 39.5 overs) 215 Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-49, 3-113, 4-153, 5-172, 6-176, 7-188, 8-205, 9-215. Bowling: Asif 10-0-59-2, Sami 6-1-27-2, Gul 3.5-0-38-2, Malik 10-0-46-1, Afridi 10-0-37-3. Players termed Haq ‘autocratic’
Karachi: Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq was preceived as an “autocrat” by players of his team, according to a member of the Performance Evaluation Committee
(PEC) that probed Pakistan’s debacle at the World Cup. Various players, who had played with
Inzamam, gave their feedback to the PEC about his strict attitude with them and the cricketers’ statements had been recorded on audio cassettes, Salahuddin said. He claimed the PEC had no bias against
Inzamam. “We did our efforts honestly and I think that is why the report of the committee has been appreciated by the public,” he told Dawn newspaper. “Inzamam had become an introvert and autocratic captain, particularly after the Oval fiasco when his refusal to go to the field was overlooked by the then PCB chief Shaharyar Khan,” the report stated. Under Inzamam’s captaincy, Pakistan bowed out in the first round of the World Cup after their shock defeat to minnows Ireland.
— Agencies
|
|
|
Vaas taken to
hospital
Chelmsford, May 20 Vaas, playing for Middlesex, fell as he attempted a difficult catch on the boundary. The game was held up for more than half an hour while Vaas received medical attention before being taken, on a stretcher but conscious, to hospital for checks. Vaas,
33, had earlier scored 17 not out and taken nought for 46 in eight overs
for Middlesex but his side slumped to a nine-wicket defeat.
— Reuters
|
|
|
London, May 20
England declared their second innings closed at 284 for eight.
First-innings century maker Alastair Cook scored 65, while Corey Collymore took the first three England wickets.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul top-scored with 74 in West Indies’ first innings 437. Earlier, Panesar’s took a five-wicket haul for the fourth time in his 14th Test. And with England a pace bowler short as Matthew Hoggard (thigh) remained off the field and in the absence of the already-injured Andrew Flintoff, it was thanks to Panesar they stayed on top. Scoreboard
England (1st innings) 553-5 dec West Indies (1st innings) Gayle b Plunkett 30 Ganga lbw Panesar 49 Smith b Panesar 21 Sarwan lbw Panesar 35 Chanderpaul lbw Panesar 74 Morton lbw Panesar 14 Bravo c Cook b Collingwood 56 Ramdin c Collingwood b Plunkett 60 Powell not out 36 Taylor c sub b Harmison 21 Collymore lbw Panesar 1 Extras (b-4, lb-17, w-16, nb-3) 40 Total (all out, 116.1 overs) 437 FoW: 1-38, 2-83 3-151, 4-165, 5-187, 6-279, 7-362, 8-387, 9-424. Bowling: Hoggard 10.1-3-29-0, Harmison 28-2-117-1, Plunkett 30-7-107-2, Collingwood 11.5-2-34-1, Panesar 36.1-3-129-6. England (2nd innings) Strauss c Morton b Collymore 24 Cook c Ramdin b Collymore 65 Shah c Ramdin b Collymore 4 Pietersen lbw Gayle 109 Collingwood c Morton b Bravo 34 Bell c Ganga b Bravo 3 Prior c Bravo b Gayle 21 Plunkett st Ramdin b Gayle 0 Harmison not out 11 Panesar not out 3 Extras (b-1, lb-3, w-1, nb-5) 10 Total (8 wkts, 66.5 overs) 284 FoW: 1-35, 2-51, 3-139, 4-241, 5-248, 6-264, 7-264, 8-271. Bowling: Powell 9-0-44-0, Collymore 15-1-58-3, Gayle 20.5-4-66-3, Bravo 18-2-91-2, Taylor 4-0-21-0.
— Reuters
|
|
Bob’s autopsy report ‘misled’ police
London, May 20 The Sunday Times claimed that the role of Kingston pathologist Ere Sheshaiah is now being questioned after a review of his post-mortem report suggested that he was wrong to suggest that Woolmer had died of manual strangulation. The daily quoted an unidentified senior Jamaican police officer admitting that Woolmer probably died from heart attack.“I would go for natural causes,” he said. The Jamaican police are awaiting the result of a toxicology test to find out if Woolmer was poisoned with a herbicide. Sheshaiah, an Indian who moved to Jamaica about 12 years ago, based his report on two major
findings-Woolmer’s fractured bone in the neck and three bruises inside neck and a large one at the base of the tongue. Dr Nat Carey, a noted British pathologist, however, was not convinced. He dismissed the strangulation theory, saying such hyoid fractures could be caused by a fall, resuscitation or poor autopsy technique.
— PTI
|
|
|
India to host 2010 Asia Cup
Chittagong, May 20 “We go by a system of rotation. So after Pakistan hosts the Asia Cup in 2008, it will be India’s turn and then Bangladesh’s (in 2012),” ACC chief executive officer Syed Ashraful Huq told
IANS. The rotation is among the continent’s four Test playing nations. Sri Lanka is the fourth country and is likely to host the biennial tournament in 2014. The four countries will also host the World Cup in 2011. Huq said the 2008 Asia Cup, which was postponed several times, would definitely take place in Pakistan in April-May.
— IANS
|
|
|
Federer ends Nadal’s clay run
Hamburg, May 20
“If I have to lose against anyone, then he is the man,” Nadal said. Federer’s come-from-behind win was his first over Nadal on clay in six matches. Nadal still leads 7-4 overall. The win ended Federer’s drought after he failed to win a title in his last four events, his worst run since he became No 1 in the world in February, 2004. Federer has won in Hamburg in four of his last five visits. The Swiss won the Australian Open and in Dubai early in the year and has now clinched his third title of 2007. The victory over the man who has dominated him on clay before will boost Federer’s confidence one week ahead of the French Open, the second major of the year and the only Grand Slam event Federer has not won. Nadal won the French Open for the last two years. Federer earned 340,000 euros for his win, while Nadal got half of that.
— AP
|
|
Sofia, May 20 A win in the ninth round could have given Sasikiran a crucial one-point cushion before the final round but the Indian Grandmaster could not cash in on the opportunities that came his way and had to be satisfied with a draw. With just one round to come in the six-player double round-robin tournament, Sasikiran (5) is followed by a pack of four-former world champion Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), Gata Kamsky (USA), Nisipianu and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) -- on 4.5 points each, while Michael Adams (England) is now in the cellar on four points. In the crucial final round, Sasikiran takes on Topalov with black pieces and Mamedyarov plays with the same colour against Nisipeanu while Kamsky has white against Adams. Sasikiran is the second Indian, after Viswanathan Anand, to get an invite to a category-20 event. After losing to Kamsky in the previous round, Sasikiran came to board with the intention of a full-bloodied fight but could not make most of the opportunities after Nisipeanu fought hard from an inferior position. The Romanian had to find some really tough defence to stay in the game and he was aided by Sasikiran’s couple of mistakes that resulted in a level rook and pawns endgame. The peace was signed after 42 moves. Negi crushes Kuzubov
Kirishi: Parimarjan Negi scored a thumping victory over higher ranked Grandmaster Yuriy Kuzubov of Ukraine to remain in joint lead after the fourth round of the World Youth Stars chess tournament now underway here. Kuzubov was not given many chances by the gritty Indian, who gradually outplayed by his rival to take his tally to an impressive 3.5 points out of a possible 4.
— PTI
|
|
|
Macau, May 20 Wen-teh carded 65, 71, 65 and Moir returned 66, 66, 69 to aggregate an identical 201 but the Taipei golfer won with a birdie on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff. Moir picked two birdies each on the last three holes, while the Indian managed just one at the Macau Golf and Country Club.Ghei was two ahead with seven holes to go when play resumed in the tournament, reduced to 54 holes because of rain interruptions over the past three days. Bidding for his second-straight tournament victory after his triumph in the Pine Valle Beijing Open last month, he immediately dropped a bogey on the par-five 12th hole when play resumed this morning. Coming to the 18th, Ghei needed an eagle to get into the playoff, but he managed only a birdie on the closing par-five 18th. Gurbaaz Mann scored his first top-10 finish with a tied-ninth finish with a final round of 70. He parred the remaining six holes on final day and ended at seven-under 209.Digvijay Singh was the biggest Indian mover. He shot a four-under 31 on the front nine of the course, which was his second nine of the third day. He closed with a 66 that saw him at six-under 210 and in tied 14th place.Rahil Gangjee (73) was four-under for the week in 212 for 54 holes in tied 28th place, while Arjun Singh (69) joined him in the same 28th position. Gaganjeet Bhullar (70) finished tied 45th.Jyoti ends up tied 22nd
Adare Manor: Jyoti Randhawa squandered the chance of a top-10 finish, carding a decent three-over 75 in difficult conditions to nosedive five rungs to tied 22nd spot after the final round of the Irish Open. Shiv Kapur carded a dismal identical fourth round score of three-over 75 to finish tied 69th.
— PTI, UNI
|
|
After Morocco, Sania eyes Istanbul
New Delhi, May 20 “I’m playing doubles there (Istanbul Cup) with Chan Yung-Jan, who made the Australian Open doubles final this year. So I’m pretty excited about that,” Sania said. “That was last-minute as well! I had nobody lined up and was desperately texting around for a partner from miles and miles away out here... luckily, she was available,” she added. The $200,000 WTA Tier III event starts tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Indian ace was elated after claiming her first WTA doubles title outside India and said the fact that Vania and she teamed up just at the start of the tournament made the triumph all the more special. “It’s always good to win a title, and more so because we were a last-minute pairing. When we came here we didn’t know who we’d be playing with,” Sania said after claiming the title at Fes, Morocco. Sania won her first WTA tour doubles title at Hyderabad Open in 2004 and added two more crowns last year by winning the Bangalore Open and Sunfeast Open in Kolkata. On all three occasions, South African Liezel Huber was her partner. For Vania, this was her third career doubles title after winning back-to-back titles last year at Tokyo and Bangkok with Jelena Kostanic Tosic. The Indian ace, who was coming back after a two-month layoff due to a knee injury, said she was on her way back to regain full match-fitness. “I’m especially glad about winning here after two or three months away. It’s just great to finish a tournament with a victory. Already I feel I’m moving a lot better, my hand-eye coordination is getting better and I am feeling confident. Hopefully I can keep improving,” she said. The Sania-Vania pair took less than an hour and dropped just three games during their 6-1, 6-2 win against second seeds Andreea Ehritt-Vanc and Anastasia Rodionova. Sania, however, said it was not exactly a cakewalk. — PTI
|
|
|
Selection trials
Sangrur, May 20 Giving this information, S.S. Harichandan, secretary-general of the Indian Kickboxing Organisation, said kickboxing has been included in these games for the first time. Selection trials for the teams will be held at Solapur (Maharashtra) from June 8 to 10. Any interested player from Punjab should contact Gursharan Singh, honorary secretary, Punjab Kickboxing Association.
|
| 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 | |
