Bangalore, March 17
Dashing Gautam Gambhir's heroics with the bat on the recent tour of Australia failed to impress the national selectors who today ignored him from India's 14-member squad for the first two cricket Tests against South Africa along with injured paceman Ishant Sharma.

Barring Gambhir's non-inclusion, there were no major surprises in the squad announced by BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah after a meeting of the selection committee here.

Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh will have to undergo a fitness test on March 21

The left-handed Gambhir, who emerged as the highest run-getter in the tri-series in Australia with an aggregate of 440 runs from 10 matches, was not picked as the selectors preferred to retain Mumbai opener Wasim Jaffer despite his indifferent form in recent times.

The lanky Ishant, who put up a sterling show in Australia, was not considered for selection owing to his toe and finger injuries.

"Ishant has been advised rest for some more time and he was therefore not considered for the first Test," Shah told reporters.

The team, to be captained by Anil Kumble, has two other specialist spinners in Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik while R P Singh, S Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan will shoulder the pace bowling responsibilities.

As expected, the four senior pros - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly an VVS Laxman — have been included in the squad with the selectors reposing faith on the experienced campaigners rather than blood youngsters for the home series beginning March 26.

Delhi opener Virender Sehwag, who scored a century in the last Test at Adelaide, has also been retained in the squad and is expected to open the innings with Jaffer.

Shah said that Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh will have to undergo a fitness test in Banaglore on March 21.

"If they fail the fitness test, Dhoni will be replaced by Dinesh Kaarthick and Harbhajan Singh by Piyush Chawla," Shah said.

Yuvraj Singh, who also had some injury concerns, however, passed the fitness test today and was included in the team.

On paceman Zaheer Khan, Shah said that he had still not recovered from his heel injury and has been ruled out for the entire series.

As per the new BCCI policy, chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar did not interact with the mediamen. The BCCI Secretary just read out the names of the players to the waiting mediapersons.

Apart from the five selectors, newly appointed coach Gary Kirsten also attended the meeting which lasted close to two hours.

The South Africans will play three Tests during their tour of India with the first match scheduled to be held in Chennai from March 26-30. The second Test will be held in Ahmedabad from April 3 to 7 while the Green Park stadium in Kanpur will host the third and final match from April 11-15.  — PTI

Chandigarh, March 17
Imtiaz Patel, a South Africa national of Indian origin, has pipped I S Bindra, for the post of the ICC CEO, informed sources revealed here. The decision was reached at a two-day meeting of the ICC which began in Dubai today. 

Sources revealed that while Patel will be CEO, Bindra will work as principal adviser to the president, ICC.

Malcolm Speed, current Chief Executive of the world cricket governing body, is due to relinquish office in June. Patel heads the Supersport broadcast network in South Africa.

The names of Bindra, a former BCCI president, and Patel were shortlisted by a four-member sub-committee appointed by the ICC which had as its members BCCI president Sharad Pawar, ICC chief Ray Mali, England Cricket Board chairman David Morgan and Cricket Australia chairman Creagh O'Connor.

Deemed a wily and an able administrator, Bindra’s appointment as the CEO earlier looked an imminent possibility in view of the increasing clout of the BCCI in world cricket.

At the height of the controversy surrounding Harbhajan Singh during the recent tour of Australia in which the Punjab off-spinner faced grave racial charges and which threatened to jeopardise the relations between the BCCI and Cricket Australia, it was Bindra, who camped in Australia and played a major role in diffusing the crisis. Concerns were also raised about Bindra being over-age for the post.

In the wake of the launch of the Indian Premier League by the cash-rich BCCI, certain top players of various countries, eyeing lucrative financial contracts, have announced retirement only to play in the IPL. Cricket boards of such countries are expected to raise the demand for compensation from the BCCI at the meeting.

Bangalore, March 17
Opener Naman Ojha hit a century and R P Singh returned a five-wicket haul as Central Zone defeated Virender Sehwag-led North by 70 runs in the second round of the inter-zonal one-day tournament for the Deodhar Trophy at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here today.

Sent in to bat, Central Zone hit an imposing 293 for three in their 50 overs. Ojha top-scored with a sparkling 110 made off 130 deliveries with 10 fours and two sixes.

Ojha laid a solid foundation for the Mohammed Kaif's outfit, sharing a first wicket stand of 163 runs with Faiz Fazal who scored 66 in 93 balls with four fours.

Suresh Raina chipped in with 42 and Kaif remained unbeaten on a quickfire 34 off just 22 balls.

North, in reply, started on a disastrous note, losing four batsmen with just 12 runs on the board.

R P Singh produced an impressive burst that saw Shikar Dhawan, Gautam Gambhir and Rajat Bhatia back in the pavilion without scoring in his very first over. Singh then trapped Akash Chopra lbw for 11 leaving the side in a tight spot.

With the departure of Virat Kohli for 16, North were 60 for five. Then came the sixth-wicket partnership between Sehwag and Uday Kaul (55) who put on 92 runs.

Sehwag made 81 before being adjudged lbw to Sandeep Singh. His 73-ball knock included 11 fours and three sixes.

North were all out for 223 in 42.2 overs.

Brief scores: Central Zone 293 for 3 in 50 overs: Ojha 110, Fazal 66, Raina 42, Kaif 34 not out, Manpreet Gony 1/45 Sehwag 1/56, Pradeep Sangwan 1/67 vs North Zone 223 all out in 42.2 overs Sehwag 81, Kaul 55, Amit Mishra 43, R P Singh 5/36, Sandeep Singh 2/43. — PTI 

Wellington, March 17
England levelled the cricket series against New Zealand when they won the second Test by an emphatic 126 runs on the final morning at the Basin Reserve here today.

It was their first victory in nine months and first away Test win since beating India two years ago.

Key to the victory were a first innings century by man-of-the-match Tim Ambrose, playing in only his second Test, and a five-wicket bag for Ryan Sidebottom who destroyed New Zealand's hopes of a dramatic fightback.

The defiant 102 by wicketkeeper Ambrose, the only century in the match, allowed England to open a 144-run lead on the first innings and then set New Zealand a 438-run target after their second innings.

England captain Michael Vaughan described Ambrose's innings and his 164-run partnership with Paul Collingwood as the difference between the two sides.

"It was the defining partnership in the whole match on a wicket where I don't think any batsman felt completely in but it was a good cricket wicket."

But Vaughan was not completely satisfied with the performance, particularly the several fielding errors which included at least nine dropped catches.

"We bowled exceptionally well, we batted well at times, but we didn't catch as well this week so we're not getting it all together in one game." 

Scoreboard 

England (1st innings): 342

New Zealand (1st innings): 198

England (2nd innings): 293

New Zealand (2nd innings):

How c Bell b Sidebottom 8

Bell c Ambrose b Broad 29

Fleming b Broad 31

Sinclair c Bell b Anderson 39

Taylor lbw b Sidebottom 55

Oram c Pietersen b Sidebottom 30

McCullum c Sidebottom

b Panesar 85

Vettori c Cook b Sidebottom 0

Mills lbw b Sidebottom 13

Gillespie c Ambrose b Anderson 9

Martin not out 0

Extras: (lb-11, w-1): 12

Total (all out in 100.3 overs): 311

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-69, 3-70, 4-151, 5-173, 6-242, 7-246, 8-270, 9-311

Bowling: Sidebottom 31-10-105-5, Anderson 15-2-57-2, Broad 23-6-62-2, Collingwood 9-2-20-0, Panesar 21.3-1-53-1, Pietersen 1-0-3-0. — AFP

Indian Wells (California), March 17
A gritty Sania Mirza battled from a set down to knock out World No. 18 Shahar Peer of Israel and stormed into the fourth round of the Pacific Life Open here. Sania, seeded 21st in the $2.1 million tournament, dropped the first set in a tie-breaker but fought back to snatch a 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 win to maintain her dominance and an all-win record over Shahar. Sania has now won all four of their clashes.

Rounding off a great day for India were doubles specialists Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi playing with different partners in the men's Masters Series event being held at the same venue.

Eighth-seeds Paes and Paul Hanley (Australia) beat Argentines David Nalbandian and Guillermo Canas 7-5, 2-6, 10-5 to reach the quarterfinals.

Sixth-seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles of Bahamas, who have already won twice this year, beat Christopher Kas of Germany and Rogier Wassen of Netherlands 6-3, 7-6 in the first round.

Sania will now meet fifth seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia in the pre-quarter-finals of the tournament, which is one of the very few outside of the Grand Slams with a 128-draw.

A relieved Sania said that she was expecting a tough fight from Shahar.

"We always play tough matches. I was a bit irritated with myself, because I was fighting but was not able to finish it," said Sania, ranked 32nd in the world.

Bhupathi and Knowles will be up against Nikolay Davydenko of Russia and Nicolas Keifer of Germany in the second round and a win will take them into the last eight. — IANS

Nice (France), March 17
World champion Viswanathan Anand thumped Shakhriayar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan to register his second straight rapid game victory in the second round of the Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess tournament here.

Anand continued excellent results with black pieces in the traditional yet unique event that has one blindfold and one rapid game in each round.

With nine rounds still to go, Anand is now sitting pretty at joint top in rapid along with Levon Aronian of Armenia on two points each after two wins with black pieces. They are followed by Magnus Carlsen of Norway, Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria and Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk on 1.5 points each.

Anand shares the lead in combined standings with Aronian and Ivanchuk. While all the three leaders have three points apiece, Topalov and Carlsen are not too far behind on 2.5 points each.

In the blindfold, the lead is jointly held by Russian Alexander Morozevich, Ivanchuk and his compatriot Sergey Karjakin who all have 1.5 points each. Anand shares the fourth spot in this section on one point along with Mamedyarov, Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, Topalov and Carlsen. — PTI

Kochi, March 17
P.T. Usha has not taken kindly to Anju Bobby George's remarks that the "Payyoli Express" was not a world class athlete in her heydays, but said she would not comment on the ace long jumper's credentials as "she is just a child." Anju, in a television interview, had said though she would not like to belittle Usha's achievements but would not consider her as a world class athlete.

She had obliquely hinted that Usha finished fourth in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics 
400m hurdles because of the boycott by athletes from the erstwhile Eastern bloc.

When asked why Usha was not her idol, Anju said since the Kerala runner was not a world class athlete she could not be her idol.

"I am looking up to only world standard athletes," Anju had said in an interview to Malayala Manorama Television channel, adding "Milkha Singh and Usha are only Asian level athletes." Reacting to Anju's remarks, Usha said she would not want to hurt Anju now as that could affect her preparations for the Beijing Olympics.

"India is expecting a medal from Anju at the Beijing Olympics. If I answer to her comments, that will hurt her. I am not prepared to put her in such a mental state," she said.

"How can she (Anju) decide on my credentials? International Amateur Athletic Federation had selected me in 1985 and 1986 as one of the best eight athletes in the world," a hurt Usha responded.

"Anju is like a small child to me. I have seen her grow before my eyes. She has to grow further," Usha said. — PTI