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‘Proteas will thump India’
BCCI Working Committee to meet on
Darrell Hair reinstated
One year on, Inzy remembers Woolmer
Patil, Yadav guide Mumbai Champs home
Mumbai Champs’ Raviraj Patil, who played a match-winning knock (65 not out) against Ahmedabad Rockets in the Edelweiss 20s Challenge match at Tau Devi Lal Stadium at Panchkula on Tuesday.
—Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan |
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Oz tour of Pak may be rescheduled
Nadal cruises into fourth round
Anand takes sole lead
East Bengal beat Ahli Sana’a
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‘Proteas will thump India’
Durban, March 18 Lauding the in-form Smith for guiding the team to the top of the ICC ODI rankings, Majola said the South Africans will be a tough proposition for the home side. "Cricket South Africa (CSA) salutes Graeme on remarkable achievements at such a young age. Graeme's leadership qualities have really come to the fore, and CSA is confident that he will take the Proteas to the number 1 spot in Tests as well," Majola said in a statement. "India beware in the forthcoming three-match Test series which starts in Chennai next week. Graeme Smith and his boys are going to thump Anil Kumble and his charges," he added. The 27-year-old Smith became the top ODI batsman displacing Sachin Tendulkar after a fine run of form in the series against Bangladesh. The CSA chief lavished praise on the left-hander for his remarkable form with the bat. "At the age of 27, Graeme Smith has set several landmarks which put him among the best young captain/batsman yet produced in world cricket," he said. "The Proteas, under Graeme's leadership, have finished the international season as the No.1 ODI team in world cricket and are looking to take second spot in the Test ratings," he added, lauding Smith's leadership. Smith is the only South African with four Test double hundreds and he holds the world record for the highest first wicket partnership in Tests with Neil McKenzie — 415 v Bangladesh at
Chittagong. Going will be tough for Indians: Ntini
On a high after whitewashing Bangladesh in the recently concluded Test series, South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini said his team has adapted themselves to conditions in the subcontinent and will give India a run for their money. ''It takes a lot of adapting to bowl on the subcontinent but this time it is a little different because we have just been to Bangladesh,'' Ntini was quoted as saying by the Beeld newspaper. ''We quickly adapted to local conditions and we were successful over there,'' he added. The 30-year-old right-arm pacer expressed confidence in the Proteas' bowling line-up with pacemen Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, besides left-arm spinners Robin Peterson and Paul Harris vying for selection. ''I am looking forward to bowling with Dale and Morne,'' he said. ''They are young guys and we, as the experienced players, must take them under our wing and support them.'' ''In addition to the pace attack, we now also have two spinners who could do well in India,'' he added. ''I am particularly excited about Robin Peterson after his seven wickets in the semi-final of the MTN series (South Africa's domestic one-day tournament). ''I am sure we'll do well in India if we do the basics well.'' The Proteas will take on India in a three-Test series with the first match to be held in Chennai from March 26-30. —
Agencies
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BCCI Working Committee to meet on March 25
New Delhi, March 18 Though the Board is seized of the matter of celebrating the silver jubilee of the World Cup triumph, it has been caught in the horns of a dilemma as Kapil Dev, who heads the rival Indian Cricket League, has become a persona non-grata with the Board. Kapil has even gone to court to challenge the stoppage of his pension by the BCCI after he aligned with the Zee Sports-promoted ICL, which, the Board felt, was to challenge its authority. Consequently, the BCCI has floated its own limited overs Indian Premier League 20/20 Tournament, which will get off the blocks on April 18. To add to the BCCI's discomfort, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, who was part of Kapil's Devils triumphant World Cup squad, is reportedly organising a "private function" at Lord's to celebrate India's 1983 World Cup victory. According to sources, the BCCI Working Committee meeting in Chennai is expected to deliberate whether to celebrate the silver jubilee of the World Cup win as one school of thought is that it was a triumph for the country, and therefore, there was no harm in celebrating the event, never mind the fact that players like Kapil Dev, Madan Lal and Sandeep Patil have aligned with the ICL. Meanwhile, another former Indian captain Bishen Singh Bedi, and ex-internationals Maninder Singh and Atul Wassan, will debate on the topic here tomorrow about "Is the 1983 World Cup win bigger than 2007 20Twenty?". This is the first of a national debate series organised by Ceat by bringing together cricketers and the media on an open platform with the public to discuss and debate on contemporary cricketing issues. |
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Darrell Hair reinstated
Dubai, March 18 Hair was banned by the ICC in November 2006 after his controversial handling of the Oval Test in August 2006 between Pakistan and England and the subsequent revelation that he had offered the ICC to retire in exchange for $500,000. In that Test, Pakistan refused to take the field after tea on the fourth day of the fourth Test after Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove penalised them five runs on charges of ball tampering. Hair and Doctrove then decided Pakistan had forfeited the Test, the first forfeiture in the 129-year history of Test cricket. Announcing Hair's reinstatement today, ICC President-elect David Morgan said at the end of the two-day meeting of the executive board that "Hair was a good umpire and that a decision taken after much deliberations by the panel." — PTI |
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One year on, Inzy remembers Woolmer
Karachi, March 18 "Pakistan cricket will always be indebted to Bob Woolmer for his contribution to the game," Inzamam told AFP in an interview to mark the first anniversary of the former England Test batsman's death which sent shockwaves through the sport and cast a shadow over the 2007 World Cup. "I want to forget the tragedies of the World Cup, but I can never forget Bob. He was not only an excellent coach, but also a very good human being." Woolmer, 58, who had also coached South Africa, was found dead in his hotel room in Jamaica on March 18, 2007, just a day after Pakistan had been sensationally knocked out of the World Cup following a shock defeat to Ireland. The tragedy was initially treated as murder with some commentators insisting that Woolmer was killed to prevent him blowing the whistle on illegal betting, the curse of the game in Asia. However, after the biggest manhunt in Jamaican history and following months of wild speculation, an inquest jury in October eventually returned an open verdict on Woolmer's death. Inzamam was so shattered by the events that he quit one-day cricket in tears immediately after Pakistan's last game in the doomed Caribbean campaign. "He was helpful to all and very accommodating. He always thought about the team and saw to it that we kept improving," added Inzamam, who also quit Test cricket in October last year. "After the defeat to Ireland we were all depressed but Bob was trying to console everyone and was trying to convince us that it was just a bad day and things would improve for the team. "He asked me what were my plans. I told him that my mind was not working and we would talk the following day, but that opportunity never came and we got the shocking news of his death." Woolmer had himself ruled out any hasty decision over his own future with the team. "I'm deeply hurt and I don't know how this is going to affect me, but I will let you know," Woolmer had told AFP in an exclusive interview following the defeat. When his death was initially treated as murder, the Pakistan players were finger-printed and DNA-tested before Jamaican police finally announced in June that Woolmer, who suffered from diabetes, had died of natural causes. Former international leg-spinner, and bowling coach, Mushtaq Ahmed said Woolmer was an inspiration for all those "Bob was successful at county level where he coached Warwickshire, then lifted South Africa and was hoping to build Pakistan into a great team before he met a cruel fate," said Mushtaq. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have dedicated their indoor cricket school to their late coach, which was inaugurated by both the Pakistan and South African teams. "Bob will be remembered in Pakistan cricket and hopefully his legacy will continue. His memory is still fresh because his contribution to Pakistan cricket was immense," said PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf. When Woolmer joined Pakistan in June, 2004, it was a period of turmoil for the game in the country. The defeat at the hands of arch-rivals India - both in Tests and a one-day series - had shaken Pakistan cricket and had led to the axing of legendary batsman Javed Miandad as coach. Woolmer took time to settle as Pakistan levelled their two-Test home series against Sri Lanka before Australia thrashed them 3-0. The turning point came when Pakistan beat Ashes-winning England 2-0 on home soil in 2005 before squaring Test series in India and the West Indies, and beating Sri Lanka away. Both Inzamam and Mushtaq said they were willing to help at Woolmer's academy in South Africa. "I feel for his family because they are the real sufferers. Whenever they need me to coach at Bob's academy, I will be more than willing to go," said Inzamam. "Perhaps through this we can pay back for what he did for Pakistan." —
AFP |
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Patil, Yadav guide Mumbai Champs home
Champs first restricted Rockets, who elected to bat first, to a modest 131. Then they fired on all cylinders to romp home with just two balls remaining. Left-arm spinner Avinash Yadav and diminutive Raviraj Patil were the architects of the Champs’ victory. First Yadav halted Ahmedabad Rockets in their tracks with a miserly four-wicket haul. Then the gutsy Patil played a gem of an innings to steer his side home. Patil remained unconquered on 65. Chasing the victory target S Jayantha and S Paul could not get Champs off to a good start. Paul was the first to depart edging Jason Gillespie behind the stumps after the batsman had just got off the mark. Inexplicably, after he hit a rasping four off Gillespie, Jayantha went into the slog mode. Trying to hit out at virtually every delivery, he fell attempting a mindless heave off Rakesh Patel. Patil and Astle tried to restore stability to the innings. While Astle was totally out of sorts, he was content to rotate strike. Patil broke the initial shackles clobbering Gillespie well into the deep mid wicket stand and then hitting two fours in the same over. Having gained in confidence, there was no stopping Patil. He went about his job in a confident fashion, never losing out on any opportunity to score runs. Patil, who made a sparkling half century in the previous outing, played some gorgeous stroke. Astle’s misery was ended by Reetinder Sodhi. The former Punjab all rounder got one to move a shade outside after pitching on the middle stump to disturb Astle’s stumps. Astle’s unconvincing stay at the wicket fetched him 12 runs. Kiran Powar supported Patil well as the two added crucial 32 runs to the total before Powar was done in by Gillespie when the batsman was playing on 19. Some disciplined bowling in the slog overs by Gillespie, Heath Streak and Sodhi at the “death” ensured that the contest went to the wire. With 10 runs needed in the last over, to be bowled by Streak, meant it could be anybody’s game. But Khanolkar turned it decisively in Champs favour, striking two fours off the first two deliveries - first an authoritative cover drive and then cheeky chip over the fine leg area which raced to the fence. He worked the third ball for a single, levelling the score. With all fielders brought inside the circle by Rockets’ skipper Damien Martyn, Patil struck a lofted four to signal victory for the Champs. Rockets’ innings was build around the superlative batting by openers Wavell Hinds and Sachin Dholpure. Hinds struck two boundaries off Tino Best in the first over and two more in the second over bowled by Van der Wath to make his intentions clear. Not to be left behind, Dholpure opened up to play some bold strokes. The rollicking opening stand raised visions of a healthy total. But after both the openers were back in the pavilion, the innings lost its momentum as the side put a total on the board which was never going to be enough.
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Oz tour of Pak may be rescheduled
Dubai, March 18 The duo are currently in Dubai to attend the ICC Board meeting and took the opportunity to initiate discussions on the matter. "It is clear from our initial discussion here in Dubai that we need to sit down and go through the technical issues on finding new dates with a fine tooth comb. "To that end, I have suggested we meet in Melbourne as soon as possible and we will organise dates once the current ICC meetings are finalised," Connor said in a statement. The CA Chairman, while reiterating their commitments to the tour of struggling sub-continent nation, said Ashraf's trip will help him understand Australia's security concerns. PCB to oppose shifting of Asia Cup
Lahore: After the postponement of Australia tour, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is desperate to stop the shifting of Asia Cup and will take up the issue in its proposed meeting with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officials here Thursday. The recent wave of bombings that led to the postponement of the Australia series has cast a shadow over Pakistan's chances of hosting both the Asia Cup, to be held from June 24 to July 6, and the Champions Trophy, to be held in September-October. There is a strong possibility that the International Cricket Council's (ICC) executive board might shift the Champions Trophy from the strife-torn nation. Apart from PCB and ACC officials, Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLC) chief Arjuna Ranatunga will also attend the meeting to discuss Pakistan's fate of hosting the Asia Cup. PCB will be giving a detailed presentation to the ICC delegation Friday, which will not only assess the progress of the arrangements for the Champions Trophy, but will also be looking at the security situation of the country from close quarters, a report in The Nation said. However, the members of the PCB executive board will discuss all the issues in an internal meeting before they sit with the ACC Thursday. — IANS |
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Nadal cruises into fourth round
Indian Wells, March 18 Nadal, ranked number two in the world and seeded second behind world number one Roger Federer, defeated 86th-ranked Young 6-1, 6-3, taking full advantage of the 18-year-old wild card's early nerves to pocket the first set quickly. Young steadied in the second set, but was broken in the sixth game to trail 2-4. With Nadal serving for the match at 5-3, Young was unable to capitalise on one break point and the Spaniard duly served out what he called a "comfortable" win. Next up for Nadal is Tsonga, who was unseeded when he stunned the second-seeded Spaniard in straight sets in the Australian Open semi-finals in January. Tsonga, now ranked 17th in the world, defeated fellow Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6 (7/5), 6-4. "It's going to be important for me to serve well," Nadal said of his looming encounter with Tsonga, who fell to the Spaniard in the first of their two meetings to date, at the US Open last year. Third-seeded Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic advanced on cue in the 5.7 million-dollar tournament, which features a WTA tier one event as well as the men's Masters Series. Serbia's Djokovic capped the night session on stadium court with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber. France's Richard Gasquet, the eighth seed, got the men's action off to a brisk start with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela. Gasquet booked a meeting with ninth-seeded American James Blake, who beat former world number one Carlos Moya of Spain 6-3, 6-4. Blake, who evened his career head-to-head against Moya at six wins apiece, said he was reminded of his first win against the Spaniard, which came at Indian Wells in 2003. Women's top seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia advanced with ease, downing Italy's Tathiana Garbin 6-3, 6-0. Ivanovic, whose runner-up finish to Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open propelled her to number two in the world, was pleased to turn in a solid performance after her erratic 6-1, 5-7, 6-0 victory over Romanian Ioana Raluca Olaru in the previous round. Ivanovic's third-seeded compatriot Jelena Jankovic also cruised into the fourth round, posting a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama. Jankovic, ranked number four in the world, encountered little resistance from Sugiyama and said her biggest concern was to maintain her focus in the breezy conditions. France's Marion Bartoli, the sixth seed, labored to a 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) victory over German Angelique Kerber. Bartoli was up 6-3, 5-1, but couldn't put the victory away until her eighth match point. Bartoli next faces former world number one Lindsay Davenport, a two-time winner of this event, who held on for a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Taiwan's Chan Yung-Jan. The 31-year-old American, who took nearly a year off the tour to have a baby, has won two titles already this year. —
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Nice, March 18 Anand took his combined tally to four points and is now half point ahead of nearest rivals Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine, Levon Aronian of Armenia, Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Topalov who all have 3.5 points apiece. Sergey Karjakin of Ukraine and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan are next in line a half point behind and the latter was a show-stealer on the third day with a sensational victory over Kramnik from the black side of a rarely played Budapest Gambit in the rapid game. Anand also leads the rapid section solely on 2.5 points. A half point clear of Aronian and Topalov while the blindfold section is headed by Ivanchuk, Calrsen and Russian Alexander Morozevich who all have 2 points in their kitty. Eight rounds are still remaining in the tournament, which features one blindfold and one rapid game in each round. Topalov and Anand had a theoretical discussion in one of the main lines of the Catalan Opening where the Indian played black. Topalov had a miniscule advantage in the middle game but that was all to it till the game lasted. Anand defended well and after 59 moves the draw was a just result. Topalov confided that at some point he thought he could have fought for more but yet again with the clock ticking away decided against it. — PTI
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East Bengal beat Ahli Sana’a
Kolkata, March 18 East Bengal had lost 0-1 in their lung-opener against Lebanese club Safa FC in Beirut last week. After today’s loss, Sana’a have to remain satisfied with a solitary point they had garnered from their 1-1 draw against Jordan’s Al Wihdat in their inaugural tie. The all-important goal for the Federation Cup champions came in the 34th minute when Ibe Ikechukwu Gift’s volley deflected off Sana’a defender Ahmed Khalili to unmarked Brazilian Edmilson who fired a power-packed-right-footer that banged into the net giving no chance to rival goalkeeper Manaudh Abdul Khaleej. The Yemenis looked enterprising in the initial minutes as they used their big frame to advantage in trying to build attacks down the right flank, but failed to create scoring chances. East Bengal took some time to gauge their opponents before having a look at the visitor’s goal in the 12th minute. Edmilson essayed a cross from the right flank, but Syed Rahim Nabi’s header flew over. The red and yellow brigade gradually seized control of the match with the Yemenis having sapped off all energy in the hot and humid condition. — PTI |
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Karachi, March 18
Panchkula, March 18
Panchkula, March 18
