New Delhi, April 8
Leander Paes said here today that rankings did not matter in Davis Cup tennis, and he hoped to keep India's ascendancy over the visitors, when they clash in the Asia Oceania Group I second round tie, to be played at the R.K.Khanna Stadium grass court here from 11 to 13 April.

Though Japan's No. 1 player Kei Nishikori is ranked over 200 points above India's top gun Rohan Bopanna, Leander said it did not matter really, as the tie would be played on grass, which was a favourite surface of the hosts, and he had his own experience to fall back on, as he had laid low many a formidable Davis Cup rival on grass.

With playing-captain Leander joining Rohan Bopanna, Prakash Amritraj and Harsh Mankad in the practice session at the NSCI courts here today, the Indians had some serious workout, though Mahesh Bhupathi was expected only by tomorrow.

Leander said it was a different experience altogether playing in the Davis Cup, and he was looking forward to the tie against Japan, after sitting out, as non-playing, against Uzbekistan in Delhi last month.

Leander is expected to play in the singles, if the way he partnered left-handed Divij Sharan to have a long practice session with Rohan Bopanna and national hard court champion Ashutosh Singh was any indication.

Leander said he was fit for the campaign and made light of the knee injury of Bopanna. "Bopanna is working hard, and we have the full support staff taking care of everything", he said.

And he was happy with his own form as well, "as the last four weeks have been good on the ATP Tour. I am feeling great. No problem with my ankle, no strappings and there is no second thoughts on playing on grass". 

London, April 8
Putting international commitments ahead of the IPL, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today rejected the possibility of allowing English players to feature in the lucrative Twenty20 competition.

''The reason we established central contracts was to enable the head coach to determine the amount of cricket played by England players. We have no reasons to change that structure. I can't see Peter Moores releasing a centrally-contracted England player just before the Ashes series,'' ECB chairman Giles Clarke was quoted as saying by the local media.

''What if a player got injured in the IPL and couldn't play all summer. I am pretty sure that Moores will want them to rest and the country will want them to rest, too.''

''We aren't changing our season under any circumstances - there's no possibility of us doing it,'' he added.

''Our centrally contracted players have very heavy workloads, so we need to be realistic here.''

The ECB chairman asserted that England had a right to impose rest periods on their top players, and suggested that there would be a national outcry if they did not commit themselves entirely to preparing for next summer's Ashes series. It was not so long ago, he recalled, that Pietersen had been complaining of burnout.

''The West Indies tour will be earlier for the very simple reason that we would like to give the England players a break before the Ashes series,'' Clarke said.

''The spectators in this country want to know that our players are fit, sharp and ready for the Ashes series. They want the England team in the best possible shape. That is what they are concerned about.''

This could have serious implications for English cricket with top players like Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff rejecting a new central contract unless their involvement in the IPL is sanctioned.

Clarke was, however, undaunted by the prospect saying such an eventuality will allow younger players to cement their places in the national squad.

''It would free (Pietersen) up, and it's a risk he would take,'' he remarked.

''KP runs the risk as anybody does of losing his place. Employment contracts are not compulsory, but if you are not employed you run the risks. Cricket careers can come to an end as well as a beginning. Kevin Pietersen receives not insignificant rewards. We are putting on board significant rewards for winning series.''

''People who turn up exhausted from the IPL not necessarily going to be in a position to help their fellows earn those rewards. Cricket is a team game,'' he added.

''Thirty years ago, Tony Greig thought it was important to play in World Series Cricket and Ian Botham appeared to replace him from pretty much nowhere.'' Dmitri Mascarenhas, who has joined the Jaipur Royals, urged Clarke to soften his stance.

''I came to a compromise with Hampshire,'' he said. ''It took me 11 years to play for England and I would never miss an England one-day international. The IPL is a huge tournament and it's not going to go away. Everybody else in the world is there. I think the ECB will have to reconsider.''

Melbourne, April 8
Newly appointed ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat has hinted that the international cricket calender may be revised to make room for the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL).

Lorgat, who will take over from Malcolm Speed as the ICC CEO in July, said it was hard to ignore the league and the game's governing body was more than willing to tinker with the Future Tours Program (FTP) to accommodate it in the international calender.

"The IPL is something that is exciting and can be used to enhance and grow the game around the globe. Cricket is unique in that we have three formats now, and that can be used to attract new fans. If we need to revisit the FTP, we will do that," Lorgat told the 'Sydney Morning Herald'.

Lorgat allayed fears that twenty20 would kill Test and one-day cricket and said all three forms could survive if the number of games was managed properly.

"If well managed, I think all three forms of the game are sustainable. It's just about finding the right balance," he said.

On the other issues facing the game, most prominently umpiring, the standard of which raised considerable storm this summer, Lorgat said the ICC was exploring new technologies to make the on-field officials' job easier.

"It is important to assist the umpires, not replace them.

They have an incredibly difficult and important job, and they should be offered help wherever possible," he said.

"I do not know yet all the factors that have been considered by the ICC, but would suspect that, where it makes sense, technology should be used to help the umpires," he added. — PTI

Karachi, April 8
The retired judge appointed to head the three-member appellate tribunal, which will hear Shoaib Akhtar's appeal against his five-year ban, today said the pacer would be given a fair hearing.

Aftab Farukh, a former judge of the Lahore High Court, said he was aware of the importance of the case but asserted that the tribunal would not be influenced by anybody and would only go by the evidence presented before it.

"The appellate tribunal will work independently and without any pressure. We will give fair hearings to both parties. We will also look at the evidence with both parties before we reach a final decision," Farukh said.

Former Test player and chief selector Haseeb Ahsan and well known business magnate and a former Federal minister Salman Taseer are the other members on the tribunal.

Shoaib was banned for five years last week by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on several counts of indiscipline including violation of his two-year probation period.

He lodged an appeal through his lawyer, who claimed the ban was illegal and 
unconstitutional.

Farukh said he would not comment on whether the ban was too severe a punishment for the fast bowler or his disciplinary background.

"I am a retired judge and I have dealt with many more important criminal cases involving murder. So it is not a big thing for me to handle this issue. But one thing I want to make clear the tribunal will take a majority decision," 
he said.

"Majority will prevail. If the majority want the ban removed or reduced we will go by it. The tribunal will reach a decision with consensus," he added.

The judge said the tribunal had been given minimum seven days and maximum one month to reach a decision.

"First I want to study the case and all the documents related to it. I think it will take inside a week to have the first hearing," he said.

Farukh made it clear that he would not be commenting anymore on the case until it is completed as he didn't want the media to influence opinions. — PTI

Augusta, April 8
Golf superstar Tiger Woods takes aim at a fifth Masters crown here this week amid breathless speculation that it could be the first step towards a once unimaginable Grand Slam "I think he's the only player capable of doing that," American Steve Stricker said yesterday as the world's best golfers began their preparations for the first major championship of 2008.

Woods has held all four major titles at once, when he added the 2001 Masters title to the US Open, British Open and PGA Championship crowns he had won the year before.

But no golfer has swept the modern majors in a single year.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he does do it," Stricker said. "The odds are not in his favour. I think he's got a good chance of doing it, and I don't think they are in his favour - if that makes sense." Stricker's dilemma in assessing Woods's chances reflected two opposing forces at play in a Grand Slam bid - Woods's undeniable ability against the myriad mischances that can befall any golfer.

"There's a lot of factors that go into winning a golf tournament," Stricker said. "He knows that, too. You've got to get your breaks, and he realizes he gets some breaks along the way, and you have to have that to win golf tournaments.

"Especially going over to the British Open - you could get on the wrong side of a draw over there and be 10 shots back in a hurry." In addition, Stricker said, there's the chance that another player could simply snatch one of the coveted titles from Tiger's grasp.

"There's so many good players," Stricker said. "He's going to have to play so well during every one of those major events and hope that no one else gets on a run of their own." Stricker said Woods was more than entitled to his status as overwhelming favourite to win a fifth Masters title this week.

"As a player, it is what it is," he said of the pre-tournament Tiger buzz. "You realize that he's the guy to beat. If he plays well, no one is going to beat him. I've seen him enough lately that if he's on his game, he's impossible to beat." With 64 PGA Tour victories Woods trails only Sam Snead (82) and Jack Nicklaus (73). He is only five major titles shy of Nicklaus's record of 18. — AFP

Jalandhar, April 8
The Punjab Armed Police (PAP) indoor stadium here is all geared up for the upcoming 27th Sub-Junior National Wrestling Championship, scheduled to begin on April 10. Wrestlers would participate in the three-day long meet which would conclude on April 13.

An annual affair, the championship would be inaugurated by Punjab minister for water supply and public relations Bikramjit Singh Majithia. Last year the championship was held at Anandpur Sahib.

Talking to The Tribune, Olympian Kartar Singh said the championship would be conducted in both male and female categories.

“The girls would participate under the 11th Sub-Junior National Wrestling Championship group which has been divided into ten different weight groups,” he said.

The boys would take part in the weight categories of 42 kg, 46 kg, 50 kg, 54 kg, 58 kg, 63 kg, 69 kg, 76 kg, 85 kg +85 leg, while the girls would participate in the 38 kg, 40 kg, 43 kg, 46 kg, 49 kg, 52 kg, 56 kg, 60 kg, 65 kg and +65 leg categories.

Wrestlers from 27 states would participate in the meet. The championship would be conducted in two forms namely Greeko-Roman and freestyle. “The the girls will participate only in freestyle,” Kartar added.

Chandigarh, April 8
The Haryana Sports and Youth Affairs Department would hold trials to select players in the disciplines of gymnastics, athletics, hockey and volleyball to fill the vacant seats at Gurgaon Sports Hostel (GSH).

While giving this information here today, an official spokesman of the sports department said the trials would be held at Nehru Stadium, Gurgaon, from April 22 to 25. He said only those sportspersons who are residents of Haryana and were in the age group of 12 to 19 years would be eligible to participate in these trials.

He said the selected players would get refreshment allowance of Rs 100 everyday and they would be given free training by the instructors of the sports department.