The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	I cautioned Ponting: Kumble Canberra, January 9 Indian skipper Anil Kumble today revealed that he had requested Ricky Ponting to withdraw the "racist abuse" charge against Harbhajan Singh but his plea was not taken too seriously by the Australian skipper, who was perhaps unmindful of its implications. Kumble said he made the request before the hearing began in Sydney last week but the Australian captain let it go. "I did make a request to Ponting, if it can be sorted out before it went up to the match referee. But he said a report has already been made," the Indian skipper disclosed. "Having played cricket for this long, I knew such allegations could spiral into something bigger, I envisaged it could become a larger issue," Kumble said, reflecting on the issue which still has the potential to disrupt the tour. Harbhajan was slapped with a three-Test ban for allegedly racially abusing Andrew Symonds, outraging the Indian Board and fans. An appeal against the ban will come up for hearing soon. Kumble said the Indians, who arrived here for a three-day practice match against ACT XI, are trying to move on from the controversy, which cast a threat on the tour itself. "I think it's important to move on, cricket is larger than individuals and I respect that and it's important that we move on," he told reporters on being asked whether the two captains will sit down for a chat to sort out thorny issues. — PTI
	Scant support for under-fire Ponting Sydney, January 9 Some of Australia's greatest sportsmen today came out against the "win at all costs" attitude of cricket captain Ricky Ponting and his team which was damaging the country's reputation. Batting legend Neil Harvey and fast bowling great Jeff Thomson were joined by the members of the elite "Sports Australia Hall of Fame", which includes Australia's sporting icons, in attacking the cricket team for their conduct during the second Test against India at Sydney. Harvey, a 1948 Invincible team member, blamed the Australian captain for the fiasco and said, "Ponting should have kept his mouth shut and nothing would have happened." "It is quite unheard of for a captain to dob on someone like this and it is quite an unsportsmanlike act. I think Ponting should be chastised by Australian cricket officials for his actions," he said. "I hope Harbhajan gets off on appeal and let's get the game back to normal. That would be the most simple and best way out," Harvey said. He said to him 'monkey' was not a racially offensive term and "It's a bit rich for the Australians to get on their high horse considering how they act." Ponting, however, found support from Glenn McGrath, who himself had earned a reputation for sledging during his distinguished career and gentleman cricketer Richie Benaud who counter-attacked the likes of Peter Roebuck who had demanded the sacking of "arrogant" Ponting. Benaud described Ponting as an "outstanding" leader and said, "The thought of Ponting being sacked, I think that's absolute nonsense." Former pace great Jeff Thomson, however, was harsh in his criticism of the team and said Ponting had no business reporting Harbhajan Singh. "The Aussies act like morons and bullies and they can't cop criticism from someone like myself. I think it was appalling that none of the Australians went over and shook Anil Kumble's hand at the end of the SCG Test. They just played up and carried on like idiots like they normally do." Equally miffed were the Hall of Famers, who believe Ponting and his teammates were doing enough damage to the country's reputation. John Bertrand, who led an Australian yatch team to America Cup win 25 years ago, said, "It's not war. Their desire to win at all costs is beginning to blur their moral compass. "We will be seeking a meeting with Cricket Australia to seek to get the Australian team to readjust their behaviour so that they do show respect for their opponents," he said. World champion marathon runner Rob de Castella and Olympic gold medallist Herb Elliott, echoed the same view. "We don't like what we are seeing and hearing at the moment," Elliot said. Australian Football League hero Ron Barassi said, "It concerns me that the Australians are regularly being referred to as being arrogant and because it is mentioned so often, you begin to wonder." South African great Barry Richards saw something good out of the entire episode and said, "It is probably good that it was brought out into the open. Had they settled it off the field, all it would have done was driven it underground for a little while." Australian media, meanwhile, looked more pre-occupied with umpire Steve Bucknor's removal from the Perth Test, a move that was perceived as ICC's capitulation before BCCI's financial might. "A major concern for cricket's leaders is that the decision to oust Bucknor lets a genie out of the bottle. Which country will follow next with a refusal to play under a particular umpire?" asked 'Sydney Morning Herald'. "Yesterday's action is both a buckling to power and a pragmatic decision to try to allow the tour to proceed," their columnist Tony Stephens wrote. — PTI
	Ponting’s parents ‘abused’ Canberra, January 9 The simmering tension between Australia and India has taken its toll on the parents of skipper Ricky Ponting, who had to change their telephone number after receiving abusive calls in the wake of the controversy surrounding the second Test against India. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Ponting spoke of the pressure his family was under amid calls for his sacking, but defended his team against accusations of arrogance. ''There were a few people who rang (my parents) in the past few days, people having a dig,'' he said. ''It was disappointing for them to have to go through that.'' Despite saying earlier in the week that the Australian team had played within the spirit of the game during the second Test, Ponting yesterday admitted that there could be areas in which the team could improve. ''I don't think anyone wants the way Australia plays cricket to change,'' he said. ''Everyone likes to see a tough, uncompromising brand of cricket.'' ''But if there are areas in our game to improve on, then obviously we need to address that.'' He referred to his own actions in standing at the crease after being given out LBW in the first innings of the Sydney Test. ''There's no doubt I stood there for a second or two too long and I shouldn't have done that,'' he said. ''It probably didn't help that I was shown throwing my bat when I got back to the rooms.'' ''Some of the guys mightn't have shaken Indian skipper Anil Kumble's hand after the game but we were so wrapped up with the end of the game that we were already off the field. We all walked along when it was over and shook their hands.'' Ponting said he wanted Australian team members to be ''remembered as being good people as well as great cricketers''. — UNI
	British media reaction ‘Cricket’s rulers caved in ’ London, January 9 British media today slammed the ICC for sacking Steve Bucknor from the Perth Test, saying it was an act of appeasement of the cash-rich Indian cricket board and it will seriously compromise ICC's authority. "Cricket's rulers caved in to pressure and intimidation from the sport's biggest powerhouse by reaching a shabby compromise that ensures India's tour of Australia will go on whatever the consequences to their authority," screamed a column in Daily Mail. "It is simply that India, who generate more money from cricket than all the other Test nations combined, are indisputably running the world game, not the governing body," Paul Newman wrote. "How can the ICC decide to sack Bucknor from this series, even though he had a shocker, when their own Standard Playing Conditions dictate that 'neither team will have the right of objecting to an umpiring appointment'? he asked. "Bucknor deserved better than to be ruthlessly tossed aside by the ICC at the whim of India's powerbrokers." The newspaper also carried another column which said the ICC has dumped a black umpire to appease a team accused of harbouring a "racist". "A shudder must have run through every white coat, every match official in every sport, as Bucknor became the scapegoat," Paul Hayward wrote. Calling cricket's one of the worst crises as "Bolly-line crisis", The Times said the ICC had appeased India by removing Steve Bucknor. 'The ICC yields to Indian fury to save tour' ran a headline in the Guardian saying India have yet to taste success against Australia in this series, but they certainly recorded a convincing win over the International Cricket Council. "Bucknor had been in the Indians' crosshairs for several days and yesterday paid the price," wrote Alex Brown. India's counter charge of Brag Hogg having used abusive language directing towards Anil Kumble and MS Dhoni was also projected by the British media as tit-for-tat action. "There is more than a touch of pettiness in this tit-for-tat exchange, especially as most Australian sides of the past would have been reduced to ruins if players had been censured for such mild language," wrote Simon Briggs in the Daily Telegraph. He, however, said the ICC decision to remove Bucknor was a practical step. "Bucknor's removal will inevitably bring accusations that the ICC are bowing to India's political and economic clout. In practice, though, it was a sensible move that even the Australians would probably agree with, if only out of fear that they could be on the wrong end of Bucknor's roulette wheel at Perth." — PTI
	Kiwi judge to hear Bhajji’s appeal Mumbai, January 9 New Zealand High Court judge John Hansen has been appointed as commissioner to hear India spinner Harbhajan Singh’s code of conduct appeal, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Wednesday. Off-spinner Harbhajan was handed a three-Test ban for allegedly racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds during the second Test in Sydney that ended in an acrimonious defeat for the touring Indians. The Indian board appealed against match referee Mike Procter’s decision after Harbhajan pleaded not guilty to the charge and initially suspended their tour of Australia. Harbhajan has been allowed to continue playing pending the verdict of the appeal. “No time, date or venue for the appeal have yet been fixed,” the ICC said in a statement. “The process indicates that the appeal should be heard within seven days of the commissioner being appointed. However, this time period may be extended if circumstances dictate.” The Indian board announced after an emergency meeting on Tuesday they will resume the tour but would continue to protest against the charge against Harbhajan. Their decision came after the ICC sacked umpire Steve Bucknor from next week’s third Test follow widespread criticism of his performance in Sydney. “Under the provisions of the ICC code of conduct, Justice Hansen has the power to increase, decrease, amend or otherwise substitute his own decision from that made at the previous hearing, and his decision is final and binding,” the ICC said in a statement said. — PTI
	‘Bhajji did it in Mumbai also’ Sydney, January 9 Not only at Sydney but Harbhajan Singh had also allegedly called Andrew Symonds a "monkey" in Mumbai during Australia's recent tour to India, a media report claimed today. However, Symonds, who was subjected to monkey chants by fans in that tour, sorted out the matter after having one-on-one talks with the Indian spinner, a report in 'The Australian', citing sources, said. Symonds reported the racist taunt to captain Ricky Ponting after the game and a team meeting of the Australians resolved to report Harbhajan to the match referee, it said. The report added that Symonds, however, refused to allow his team to prosecute Harbhajan as a racist. "'The Australian' has learned that Symonds told the team he wanted the matter to go away and that he wanted to talk to Harbhajan first. While his teammates waited, Symonds walked to the door of the Indian room a few metres away and asked for Harbhajan. "After meeting the Indian bowler, Symonds went back to his teammates and said it had been worked out, man to man," the report said. The Indian spinner was slapped with a three-Test ban when Australians complained to the umpires about Harbhajan's alleged monkey remarks during the Sydney Test. The report further claims that the incident was brought to the notice of ICC Match Referee Mike Procter, who heard the charges against Harbhajan. "At the code of conduct hearing, the Australians told match referee about the incident in Mumbai. Harbhajan denied it had happened. It is, according to the Indian, part of the complex fabric of lies woven by an Australian team who will lie, cheat and conspire to bring him undone," it said. — PTI
	Roebuck now lambasts India Sydney, January 9 The Indian cricket team may lose public sympathy by holding the tour to ransom in its bid to clear off-spinner Harbhajan Singh of racism charges and get rid of umpire Steve Bucknor, said eminent cricket writer Peter Roebuck. "By no means can the Indians escape censure for the unpleasantness that took place in cricket's dark hour at the SCG. By sulking in hotel rooms, the tourists stand in danger of losing public sympathy. Of course, vociferous fanatics will remain loyal but only fools play to that gallery," Roebuck wrote in his column in The Age. The former Somerset captain went on to add that India has the right to appeal against the three-Test ban imposed on Harbhajan, on charges of making alleged racist comments against Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds during the second Test match at the SCG, but it was hardly proper for the entire tour to shudder to a halt in the meantime. "The players should have continued with an admittedly idiotic itinerary. After all, (Anil) Kumble's comments were made in the long-term interests of the game. Imperilling matches hardly serves that purpose," wrote Roebuck.— IANS
	Hogg unlikely to contest charge Canberra, January 9 Australian spinner Brad Hogg is unlikely to contest the Indian charge of a foul slur against Anil Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni when the hearing comes up in Perth on Monday. Hogg apparently had abused Kumble as well as Dhoni after the two were batting to draw the Test on the final afternoon of the controversial Sydney Test. "I can't wait to run through you 'B****ds'," Hogg is alleged to have uttered at the Indians who have taken an exception to the remark since it has connotations of being born out of a wedlock. Hogg on his part is likely to suggest that the word is used as mate-ship in the Australian culture and he did not mean to offend the Indians. The bowler has been charged with a serious level III offence of racial abuse. The section 3.3 of the ICC Code of conduct refers to players or team officials "using language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion, gender, colour, descent, or national or ethic origin". The case is being seen by one of Cricket Australia's legal and business affairs general manager Dean Kino. CA's anti-racism officer Peter Young doesn't see anything amiss in the Indian charge. "India is entitled to lay a charge against Hogg, as Ricky Ponting did against Harbhajan. Our view is that it's the appropriate process. And the same process should be invoked if India has a concern," he said. — PTI**
	Peer advice for Steve: ‘Time to move on’ Melbourne, January 9 Controversial Australian umpire Darrell Hair has sympathised with Steve Bucknor but admitted that the time has come for the beleaguered West Indian official to step down for his own good. ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed, while removing Bucknor from the ongoing India-Australia Test series following a string of wrong decisions, compared the instance to the 2006 Oval Test fiasco which was a result of Hair's ball-tampering charge against the Pakistani team. Hair said Bucknor should retire to relieve the pressure that has come on him due to the controversy surrounding his decisions in the Sydney Test. "I feel for Steve ... it's probably the best for him to stand down and relieve the pressure a little bit," Hair was quoted as saying by 'The Age' today. The Australian, who was demoted to umpiring at the associate level after a bitter court battle with the ICC, said he was keen to return to top-flight umpiring. Dickie Bird’s views London: Legendary umpire Dickie Bird today advised Steve Bucknor to call it a day, saying the West Indian had "gone on too long." "When you get to that age... I have said to Steve, 'Don't go on too long, get out while you are still respected. I think he has gone on too long," Bird, a veteran of 66 Tests who retired in 1996, said.— PTI
	Hi-Fliers stun Dynamos Akash Ghai Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 9 Holding their nerve at crucial moments, Bangalore Hi-Fliers struck back after conceding a 0-2 lead to fashion a 4-2 victory over local favourites Chandigarh Dynamos in the second final of the fourth edition of Premier Hockey League at Hockey Stadium, Sector 42, here today. With the win, Hi-Fliers levelled the best-of-three finals 1-1. Hi-Fliers rode on two goals by South Korean You Hyo Sik and a splendid performance by skipper Tushar Khandekar, who was instrumental in most of the successful attacks. They virtually exposed the weak defence of the local team and struck four goals in a row. You Hyo-sik was declared man of the match. It was Deepak Thakur, who drew the first blood in the 10th minute, slamming a shot off Sukhbir Singh Gill’s pass. Rajpal Singh sent a cross to Gill, who executed the shot into the striking circle. Defender Len Aiyappa stopped the ball but fumbled with the hit when the alert Thakur seized the ball and shot home. Dynamos skipper Rajpal doubled the margin in the 22nd minute. After getting a pass from Chadha, Rajpal slammed a beautiful shot, which sailed into the net without any interruption. Hi-Fliers produced a clinical attack to earn their third short corner in the 23rd minute. Aiyappa's drag-flick was stopped by Baljit Singh but Tushar Khandekar collected the rebound and passed it to his left to Sandeep Michael, who made no mistake to make 2-1. Hi-Fliers got the equaliser in the 32nd minute. On the pass off Tushar, Hariprasad took a shot. He again latched on to the ball on the rebound and passed the ball to Sik, who was positioned at the left side. Sik deflected the ball into the bar. In the 42nd minute, Sik took his team ahead, netting the ball off a Tushar cross. Sunil sealed the victory for Hi-Fliers in the 61st minute after collecting a pass from Tushar in front of the goal mouth.
	Gujarat lift Plate title Mumbai, January 9 Gujarat notched up a nail-biting one-wicket victory over Railways to lift the Ranji Trophy Plate Division trophy on the fifth and final day of the match at the Brabourne Stadium here today. Needing 150 for a victory with all their second innings wickets intact, Gujarat plunged to 143 for nine after being comfortably placed at 124 for four before Jay Desai (17 not out) and last man Sidharth Trivedi (2 not out) pulled them past the finish line amidst mounting tension. Desai struck the winning hit off the last ball of the 57th over to take Gujarat past the target. Brief scores: Railways (1st innings): 260 Gujarat (1st innings): 280 Railways (2nd innings): 169 Gujarat (2nd innings): 152 for 9 (M Parmar 41, Bangar 8-53, Kartik 2-48). — PTI
	Sania crashes out at Hobart Hobart, January 9 Sania Mirza crashed out of the Moorilla Hobart International with a quarterfinal loss to Italian Flavia Pennetta here today. The sixth seeded Indian went down 5-7, 6-1, 3-6 to Pennetta in the Tier IV hard court event. Sania wasted seven of the 12 break points she got against the Italian, who later admitted that her job was made easier by the Indian's poor form. "It was not a very good match for the people to watch," Pennetta said. The tournament is a warm-up for the season's first grand slam - the Australian Open which starts on January 14. — PTI
	Shahdara triumph Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 9 Shahdara Club upset favourites Tarun Sangha 1-0 in the Delhi Soccer Association Group A Super League match at the Ambedkar Stadium here today. Though Tarun Sangha dominated the match, Shahdara struck the match-winner against the run of play five minutes before full time when Satish Bagga slotted home after Anil Rawat's shot, off a penalty, rebounded. The penalty was awarded to Shahdara following a deliberate foul by the Tarun Sangha custodian. The defeat dashed Tarun Sangha's hopes of gaining a semifinal berth, while Shahdara recorded their first win after three losses.
	Jr National Korfball: Haryana, J&K win Puducherry, January 9 Defending champion Haryana scored easy victories in the ongoing league matches of the 15th Junior National Korfball championships here. Haryana thrashed Kerala 37-1 and Manipur 11-6 in their league matches. Kerala could not match the speed and relentless attack by Haryana players, who scored goals at will, and surrendered the match meekly, while Manipur put up some resistance which helped them to reduce the margin. Runners-up Jammu and Kashmir also had an easy outing by defeating West Bengal 19-6. Results (league matches): Haryana bt Kerala 37-1 and Manipur 11-6; Jammu and Kashmir bt West Bengal 19-6; Uttar Pradesh bt DNH 21-1; Andhra Pradesh bt Maharastra 13-2; Chhattisgarh bt Karnataka 7-5; Delhi bt West Bengal 14-1; Madhya Pradesh bt Tamil Nadu 14-1; and Uttranchal bt DNH 21-1. — UNI