New Delhi/Bhubaneswar, November 27
England's remaining two matches of the one-day cricket series against India was today abruptly called off following the terror attacks in Mumbai.

After a prolonged meeting with top ECB officials and the England team management, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan told a press conference in Bhubaneswar that the Guwahati and New Delhi one-dayers have been called off in view of the security apprehensions expressed by the visiting team.

“BCCI has accepted ECB's request to postpone the Guwahati and Delhi one-dayers,” said Srinivasan who held a lengthy discussion with ECB Managing Director Hugh Morris, visiting skipper Kevin Pietersen, coach Peter Moores and team manager Reg Dickason.

Regarding the fate of the two-match Test series scheduled to start in Ahmedabad from December 11, the BCCI secretary said, "We hope they will come to play the Test matches." Morris, on his part said they would be holding discussions with Indian Cricket Board officials on the Test series.

Apart from Ahmedabad, Mumbai, where terrorist attacks left over 100 people dead since last night, is one of the venues for the two-match Test series.

"This morning I held initial discussions with the BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan, as well as representatives from the Indian team management at the team hotel in Bhubaneswar. I have also briefed the England players and management on the situation as well as liaising closely with the ECB Chairman and chief executive and the players' representatives," said Morris in a statement released on the ECB website.

"The events of the last night were deeply distressing and the situation is still unfolding. We are urgently seeking information from expert sources regarding last night's attacks and will continue to hold further discussions with our colleagues from the BCCI over the next 24 hours," the statement read.

New Delhi, November 27
The inaugural Twenty20 Champions League was today postponed in the wake of security fears following the terror attacks in Mumbai.

The decision was taken by the league's governing council after consultations with the tournament's three founding board members - India, Australia and South Africa.

The Champions League organisers cited security as a major concern for the tournament and with teams reluctant to participate, they decided to postpone the eight-day event fresh dates for which will be decided next month.

''We held consultations among all the stakeholders (and) it was agreed that in the best interests of all concerned, the inaugural edition of the Champions League Twenty20 should be postponed,'' tournament chairman Lalit Modi said.

''We very strongly condemn this dastardly and heinous criminal act of a few which has resulted in the loss of precious lives and injury to hundreds. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and we are with them in their hour of grief,'' Modi said in a statement.

He said the tournament was postponed due to the logistical problems associated with finding a third venue after Mumbai was ruled out as a host following the terror strikes.

The tournament chairman further added that India will remain the venue of the Champions League which could likely take place early next year.

''India will remain the venue, as there was never a problem with hosting it here. All the teams agreed that they wanted to come for the tournament. But we had a problem with finding a third venue after Mumbai.

''There was no way we could have shifted the venue to Bangalore or Chennai, considering the state of the wickets and the grounds would not have accommodated all the matches,'' he stated.

The tournament was to see top Twenty20 domestic teams from India, Australia, England, South Africa and Pakistan were to participate in the tournament.

But it would'nt be easy to find a window for the tournament early next year as top teams across the world have a tight schedule with Australia, India, South Africa, Pakistan, England already committed to the FTP (Future Tour Programme).

England's Twenty20 domestic champions were due to fly out to India but cancelled their flight and South African and Australian boards have also delayed their decision to send their team following the attacks.

While Australia, England and South Africa have expressed their reluctance to tour India following the terror attacks in Mumbai which have killed over 100 people, Pakistan said it was ready to play despite the prevailing conditions. — UNI

Cuttack, November 27
The performance of the Indian bowlers in the one-dayers against England has earned them accolades from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who said the consistency of his bowlers has been "the most remarkable thing in the series".

"The most remarkable thing in the series has been our bowling, whether with the new ball or the old -- at the start, middle or at death," Dhoni said after his team thumped England by six wickets for a 5-0 lead in the series.

Dwelling on last night's match, Dhoni said the bowlers made a good come back in the match after their rather average first spells.

"We didn't get the best of starts from the new ball bowlers and in the middle I think the spinners did their job.

In the second Powerplay, when the batsmen were set, I think Zaheer (Khan) and Ishant (Sharma) did a splendid job. They had restricted the England innings to 270 when they looked like getting 300," Dhoni said.

Chasing 271, India got off to a flying start before losing Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh in quick successions.

Dhoni, however, was far from worried and the India captain said even at that stage, he didn't fear losing the match.

"We knew one thing that they had three seamers and they had almost finished their quota. So they had to bowl the spinners," Dhoni said, explaining his gameplan.

"We had one Powerplay still left and the asking rate was quite down. We knew if we survive for a while, we can get our eyes in and rotate the strike," said the Indian skipper.

The consolidating job, however, was not as easy as it looked, Dhoni said.

"Light was low and it was difficult to sight the ball. It was moist and the ball losing colour. But once you are set, you could rotate the strike," he said.

Dhoni said Sehwag and Tendulkar gave India the great start and had Yuvraj been in form as well, India could have chased down even 300-plus targets.

"The kind of start that was needed was given by Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. It was a pleasant sight to see Sehwag batting the way he does and Sachin rotating the strike and getting the odd boundaries. At the same time if Yuvraj gets going, you can expect 300-odd runs on the board," he said.

His opposite number Kevin Pietersen said 270 was not a bad score but the dew made life difficult for the English bowlers who could not defend the total.

"I thought 270 was very competitive. I can see now why Dhoni chose to bat, it was a bit of a nightmare dealing with the dew in the evening," he said.

"But they won the toss, decided to field and we had to bat," Pietersen said. He also felt that after Yuvraj, Sehwag had taken over the role of tormenting the visiting bowlers.

"We have been outplayed again by Viru, he is such a great player and it was a great knock. It was tough for the bowlers," he said.

Man of the Match Sehwag was clearly unlucky today to fall victim to a poor leg before decision but the opener had no complain to make.

"I have been in good form and wanted to score big here. I was unlucky not to get the 100 but I'm happy (to have played my part)," said the swashbuckling opener. A batsman who prefers to keep things simple, Sehwag said the dew made batting easy for him.

"Batting was easy because the ball was wet. It means you know the ball would not swing or seam and you can play your shots.

"I know their attack and could guess where they would bowl to me. I took my time and waited for the bad balls to punish them," Sehwag said. — PTI

The tragic events in Mumbai just as India were wrapping up a fifth consecutive win in Cuttack over England took away the gloss from India's terrific show and cast gloom over the proceedings.

It is at such moments that one realises that cricket after all is just a sport and while there is a lot of pride and honour in representing your country, it is not a life and death issue when compared to what happened to the common man in Mumbai.

At times like these words are hardly any soothing balm to the sense of loss of those who lost their near and dear ones but sincere condolences to the families especially of those security personnel who valiantly stepped up to put their lives on the line so that the common man can live his life without fear.

Getting back to the game, India, after winning the toss, chose to field not just to avoid bowling with a wet ball but also probably to give itself a new challenge of chasing a big score and overhauling it.

That they did chase the target with six overs to spare is an indication of how supremely confident this Indian team is at the moment and can challenge for the top spot sooner rather than later.

The England skipper Kevin Pietersen has been lamenting the fact that not a single century had been scored by his batsmen and how a century pretty much ensured that the total would be in excess of 250.

He promoted himself to the number three spot ahead of Owais Shah who had batted superbly in that T20 like chase in Bengaluru. He himself got the century that he wanted from his batsmen but his demotion of Shah was baffling.

Why would a skipper send a man woefully out of form ahead of one who had struck the ball so well in his previous game is beyond understanding.

Loyalty to players is a great concept but not if it is not working for the side's benefit and so England suffered as Collingwood took his own time to get going.

That set the team back and when Shah finally came in to bat he showed how flawed the loyalty was by smashing a more than a run a ball 66 that enabled England to put up a challenging total.

That challenge disappeared in a matter of overs as Sehwag took the attack by the scruff of its neck and treated the attack as if it was a school's team attack.

Even the speedy Harmison was hit over midwicket as if he was an off-spinner and only Flintoff got some respect.

His idol Sachin Tendulkar had the best seat in the house as he watched 'Viru' bat from just 22 yards away and his only concern would have been if 'Viru' drilled the ball straight back at him.

As Sehwag took off like an express train, Tendulkar brought all his experience into play and so did not try and emulate him but instead took the chance afforded by Sehwag's scoring at the other end of playing himself in and then playing the shots that he is known for.

Sehwag got a rough decision that denied him a century and it underscores the point that umpires cannot officiate for five matches in a row in such a short time and under such pressure.

Amish Saheba has got more right than wrong so far but it was unfair for him to stand in five consecutive games when there is another international umpire on hand.

Yuvraj's rare failure only allowed skipper Dhoni and Raina to build a partnership that took them close to a fifth successive win.

It was the early assault by the opening pair that enabled Dhoni and Raina the liberty to play a few quiet overs and get their eye in and then play their shots.

It was a most impressive win and the team's rejoicing would have been dampened greatly by the sad news coming from Mumbai. — PMG

Mumbai, November 27
Down by a brace of goals, promoted local outfit Mumbai Football Club staged a magnificent second-half rally to down JCT, Phagwara 3-2 in the 10th round ONGC I-League encounter today.

A double substitution early in the second half by their English-born coach David Booth, who brought in ebullient Ghanaian striker Abel Hammond and Aseem K soon after the home team trailed 0-2, did the trick for Mumbai FC.

The Punjab outfit coached by former international Sukhwinder Singh were up by two goals by the fifth minute of the second half, after Balwant Singh and Brazilian forward Eduardo da Silva found the target in the 39th and 50th minutes.

Galvanised by Hammond's speed and the increased presence of midfielders Riston Rodrigues and Kalia Kulothungan, the Mumbai team struck twice in the space of six minutes through Hammond (58th minute) and another Ghanaian Felix Aboagye (64th) to draw level.

Mumbai FC got the all-important goal three minutes from the end after JCT's Balwant hit the post in the 83rd minute after outstepping three defenders.

Tall ex-international Abhishek Yadav, who had done precious little till then, made amends with a pile-driver from 30 yards out that beat the visiting team's custodian Karanjit Singh all ends up. — PTI

Jammu, November 27
Jammu and Kashmir outclassed Uttaranchal 3-0 to win their opening tie of 31st Sub-Junior National Volleyball Championship here today.

The hosts dominated the court as Jammu and Kashmir skipper Amit Sharma along with Gourav played some good smashes and won the first set 25-22.

Meanwhile, leading 1-0, confidant spikers won the second and third sets 25-14, 25-20 giving no chance to the opponents to return into the game. Ashwani and Saddam also played good shots for the hosts.

In other matches of the day in boys section, Karnataka thrashed Goa (3-0) 25-15, 25-22, 25-10, Jharkhand defeated Himachal Pradesh (3-0) 25-11, 25-16, 25-17 while Maharastra beat Bihar (3-2) 25-23, 25-15, 25-13 and Delhi defeated Gujarat (3-1) 25-20, 25-12, 24-26, 25-16.

In girls section, Uttar Pradsh beat Manipur (3-0) 25-13, 25-8, 25-7, Kerala beat Madhya Pradesh by (3-0) 25-17, 25-19, 25-07, Chhattisgarh beat Tripura by (3-0) 25-17, 25-19, 25-07, Rajashthan beat Chandigarh by (3-0) 25-13, 2512, 25-10.
— UNI

BRIEFLY

Tennis great Jimmy Connors charged
Santa Barbara, California: Tennis great Jimmy Connors has been charged with a misdemeanor for an altercation last week before a college basketball game. Connors, an eight-time Grand Slam champion, was charged yesterday in Santa Barbara Superior Court with disrupting University of California Santa Barbara campus activities and refusing to leave a university facility. His business manager, Karen Scott, says a man tried to pick a fight with Connors and his son before Friday's game and police asked him to leave. Scott says Connors was arrested after he said he wanted to wait for his son to finish watching the game. She says he was "extremely disappointed and embarrassed" about the incident. Connors was ranked No 1 for five consecutive years in the 1970s, and had a fiery temperament on the court. Earlier this year, he resigned as Andy Roddick's coach after working together for nearly two years. — AP

Tanvir and Akmal shaken by terror strike
Karachi: Pakistani cricketers Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal who are in Mumbai to be play in the Champions League were shaken by the terror strikes that rocked the city Wednesday night. The two Pakistanis, who were to represent Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League, were dining with some friends Wednesday night when mayhem broke in the heart of Mumbai that left over a 100 people dead. "It was unimaginable, the terror and the loss of life," Tanvir said in an interview to a Pakistani television channel Thursday. "It was really unfortunate and I'm hoping that things will get normal here in Mumbai," said the pacer, who was named as the best bowler of the inaugural IPL season. Kamran Akmal said the incidents in Mumbai have proved that terrorism was a global problem and not just confined to Pakistan. "We are here in India and express complete solidarity with the people of this country," he said. "We are ready to play cricket even after what has happened because you cannot give in to terrorists," Akmal said. The Pakistan wicket-keeper said he hoped that Indian cricketers will also shrug off any security worries and travel to Pakistan to play in a much-awaited series in Jan-Feb. — IANS

I-League matches in Mumbai put off
Mumbai: Mumbai terror attacks have not only affected international cricket, with cancellation of the last two India-England ODIs and the Champions 2020 League, but also domestic football matches to be held in this metropolis over the next few days. The last two first phase ties of the ONGC I-League to be held in Mumbai's Cooperage football ground in South Mumbai on November 29 and 30 also have been cancelled, according to the All-India Football Federation. The matches to be affected are: Mahindra United v Dempo SC, Goa (Nov 29) and Mumbai FC v Mohammedan Sporting (Nov 30). "The new date will be fixed after reviewing the situation", said the release on the AIFF website. The terror attack has also forced the postponement of the Ranji Trophy Elite Division Group A tie between Mumbai and Hyderabad which would commence on December 2 instead of November 29. — PTI

23 GMs to vie for top honors in Parsvnath Chess
New Delhi: The seventh edition of the Parsvnath International open tournament will see as many as 23 Grandmasters in action when the event unfolds from January 10 here. The event will have the biggest ever prize fund of Rs 11.50 lakhs. The Indian challenge in the tournament will be spearheaded by National champion Surya Shekhar Ganguly while the top seed of the event will be Grandmaster Alexander Areshchenko of Ukraine. Parimarjan Negi, the second youngest Grandmaster ever in the history of the game will be another big name of the game in the fray and the total participation is expected to go past the 300 mark this year. — UNI

J&K climbers excel in nationals
Jammu: The J&K Sports Climbers brought laurels to the state by wining two gold, one silver and two bronze medals in the 14th National Sport Climbing Championship held at Indian Mountaineering Foundation, New Delhi, from November 19 to 23. In girl's category, Harjot Kour, who recently represented the country in the Asian Youth Championship at Japan, won one gold, one silver and one bronze medal in Lead, Speed and Bouldering competitions, respectively. Shivani Raj Kaith won a gold and a bronze medal in bouldering and speed climbing. Sonam Sidharth was the manager of the eight-member state team and the team was sponsored by J&K State Sports Council. — TNS

Shastri hockey
New Delhi: South Central Railway inflicted a 5-0 defeat on Indian Bank in the All-India Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey tournament today. Ashish Minz (2), Prabhakar Singh (2) and Mohamed Aleem were the goal-getters. In another match, Punjab National Bank crushed Central Reserve Police Force 5-1. Captain Ajitesh Roy (2), Jalvinder Singh, Kulwent Singha and Banwali scored for PNB while Rajesh Kindo pulled one back for CRPF. — TNS