London, November 29
The BCCI may make "every single effort" to salvage England's Test series but captain Kevin Pietersen insists that his team will not rush to a decision and carefully mull whether it is worth risking the lives of players by returning to India.

"I do think the BCCI will make every single effort to get us back here playing Test-match cricket in India. There are TV rights and financial considerations and they run world cricket don't they? But we will not come back to India if it's not safe. My life means more to me than anything else and I won't come back if it's not safe," Pietersen said.

"It will be a security decision and then we'll be guided by the ECB. Reg Dickason (team security adviser) will return here (India) next week for a risk assessment and he'll ring me and tell me what's going on," he said.

Pietersen said the team had a hard time in pacifying their families that they were safe.

"I bet all the guys lost a whole battery on their mobiles with calls from friends and relatives and kids saying 'Daddy where are you, what's the story?' 'he was quoted as saying by the 'The Guardian'.

Steve Harmison, who has four daughters, and father-of-three Andrew Flintoff were among those reassuring their children that daddy was fine.

"We'll make a decision on it over the next 48 to 72 hours. Our decision will be guided by security, the ECB and Reg Dickason, our security advisor", Pietersen said.

"It is no time to play cricket right now. But, who is to say that we cannot play cricket in two weeks' time, but we will just have to wait and see," Pietersen said.

Pietersen was, however, unhappy to have left India without any kind of meaningful success, having lost all five one-day internationals and forced to return home without taking on the hosts in a Test match.

"It's been a hard few days. I've had the highs of beating South Africa and then we went to Stanford, which was a hard week, and then we've come here and it's been a really tough tour so far. All I want to do is play cricket and win. One of the biggest things for me is to come to this country and try to win something.

"I said to my wife last night that I felt horrible coming home and I haven't won anything. I'm a winner and I'm a positive person and that's what I want to do. We haven't won anything yet but there's something inside me that says you can't really leave here with unfinished 
business."

Former captains Bob Willis and David Gower have joined Ian Botham and Mike Atherton in urging the English team to return to India and play the two-Test series next month.

Willis and Gower backed the decision to abandon the one-day series but felt if England do not return to India for the two Tests the same treatment could be meted out to them by visiting sides when such a situation arises in the country.

"If India is deemed safe before first Test in Ahmedabad on December 11 and the second in Chennai, they should go and play. Otherwise, no one will come to England — teams will say we are as much a terrorist target as any country. I hope that within a fortnight, things will have settled down," he said.

Yesterday, former captains Ian Botham and Mike Atherton had urged England and Wales Cricket Board to continue the Test series scheduled to start on December 11 in Ahmedabad.

Willis gave an example of the England squad, including himself, continuing to tour India in 1984-85 when former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated.

"England players stayed on in 1984-85 when Mrs Gandhi and Percy Norris, the deputy British High Commissioner, were assassinated. But I can understand reluctance of any cricketer to go into areas where there have been terrorist attacks. As Westerners are being targeted, it is sensible for the team to leave," Willis was quoted as saying by 'The Times'.

Skipper of the English squad in that 1984-85 tour, Gower, said, "I would understand if there are doubts about staying on but I would expect that if the players went back to different areas of the country, they would be fine. I would almost suggest that if they go back to Bombay, they would be fine.

India will provide full security, even though they will find it hard to get this out of 
their minds."

"We talked about coming home when Percy Norris was killed -- we had had drinks with him only the night before. But we knew security would be tight enough," Gower said. — PTI 

Lahore, November 29
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ijaz Butt has said India should come here early next year for Test and one-day international matches ''to give a clear cut message that the terrorists who are active on both sides of the border will never achieve their targets''.

While acknowledging that the scenario has changed dramatically following the shocking terrorist attacks in Mumbai this week, Butt told newspersons yesterday that he is still clinging to the hope that India's tour of Pakistan beginning early in January will go on as scheduled.

''I must say that India should come here and play the series. That would be a clear cut message to the terrorists that they will never achieve their targets,'' Butt said.

India are scheduled to play three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 International in Pakistan in January-February next year.

However, the tour was already in doubt because of security apprehensions.

Butt was scheduled to fly to India on December 2 to convince BCCI officials that their players will be safe in Pakistan. However, the PCB chairman was forced to cancel the visit in the wake of the mayhem in Mumbai that left at least 140 people dead and hundreds other injured.

The former Pakistan Test opener said he would be meeting BCCI president Shashank Manohar on the sidelines of an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) moot in Colombo on December 5.

Butt said cricket has been badly affected because of the Mumbai massacre, pointing out that England's last two one-day internationals in India were abandoned while the Indian cricket board postponed the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 event which was supposed to tee off from December 3. — UNI 

Adelaide, November 29
Australia consolidated its position against New Zealand reaching 241 for three in their first innings after bowling out the visitors for 270 on the second day of the second Test here on Saturday. At close, Michael Hussey (69) and vice-captain Michael Clarke (43) were the not out batsmen as Australia still trail by 29 runs at the Adelaide Oval.

Australian fast bowler Brett Lee ran through the New Zealand tail after they could add only eight runs in the morning. Australian skipper Ricky Ponting (79) and Hussey posted 106-runs for the third wicket after the loss of openers Matthew Hayden (24) and Simon Katich (23)for 49 runs. 

Scoreboard

New Zealand (First innings):

Redmond c Symonds b Hauritz 83

How c Haddin b Johnson 16

Ryder c Clarke b Hauritz 13

Taylor lbw b Clark 44

Fulton c Katich b Symonds 29

Flynn b Lee 11

B McCullum c Haddin b Lee 30

Vettori not out 18

Southee c Katich b Johnson 2

O'Brien c Haddin b Lee 0

Martin b Lee 0

Extras (b 5, lb 7, w 1, nb 11) 24

Total (all out; 98.3 overs) 270

Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-101, 3-130, 4-194, 5-200, 6-228, 7-266, 8-269, 9-270.

Bowling: B Lee 25.3-8-66-4, Clark 20-6-56-1, Johnson 25-5-56-2, Hauritz 16-2-63-2, Symonds 12-2-17-1.

Australia (First innings)

Hayden run out 24

Katich c Ryder b Vettori 23

Ponting c Fulton b O'Brien 79

M Hussey not out 69

Clarke not out 43

Extras (lb 3) 3

Total (3 wickets; 79 overs) 241

Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-49, 3-155.

Bowling: Martin 13-3-50-0, Southee 18-1-62-0, Vettori 28-12-54-1, O’Brien 16-3-63-1, Ryder 4-1-9-0.— IANS

Ningbo City (China), November 29
India's M C Mary Kom (46kg) re-asserted her status as the world's most successful woman boxer clinching an unprecedented fourth successive gold medal but India failed to retain the team crown at the fifth AIBA World Championships here today.

In a repeat of the previous World Championship final in New Delhi, the 25-year-old out-punched Romania's Steluta Duta 7-1 to grab India's only gold medal at the event.

The other Indian finalist, N Usha (57kg) had to be content with a silver for the second successive time after she lost 1-6 to Chinese Qin Jian.

The defending champions, who were here with a small seven-member contingent, thus finished the tournament with a haul of one gold, a silver and two bronze medals - through Chhoto Laura (50kg) and L Sarita Devi (52kg), who lost in the semifinals yesterday.

Though she couldn't ensure that the team retained the overall title, Mary Kom was once again the star of the show for India.

The Manipuri boxer remained away from the ring for two years to take care of her twin babies after completing a hat-trick of World Championship golds in New Delhi.

The pint-sized pugilist returned to don the gloves this year at the Asian Championships in September where she failed to retain her gold and settled for a silver. She claimed the National title earlier this month before leaving for the World Championship to achieve the feat.

India finished fifth at the event tied on 18 points with South Korea but with a better points per boxer average of 2.6.

China, which clinched a remarkable five gold, two silver and four bronze medals at the event was the undisputed team champion with 52 points. The hosts had an astonishing points per boxer average of 4.

Turkey (20) beat Russia (20) in the points per boxer average to take the second spot. Canada was third with 19 points. — PTI 

Chandigarh, November 29
Sangram Singh scored 202, while Bhavin Thakkar came up with 151 as Himachal Pradesh continued their fabulous run in the Ranji Trophy Group A. Superlative knocks from both the batsmen, both unbeaten at close, meant Himachal finished the day at whopping 387 for the loss of one wicket against Jharkhand at Ranchi today.

It was a fruitless toil for Jharkhand bowlers, who worked hard but without any reward. Opener Manish Gupta’s was the lone wicket to fall during the day. The wicketkeeper batsman was castled by seamer right-arm seamer Shankar Rao when he was batting on 18. This was the only success gained by the hosts bowlers as Sangram and Thakkar were in irresistible form.

Scoreboard

Himachal Pradesh (1st innings):

M Gupta b Rao 18

Sangram not out 202

Thakkar not out 151

Extras (b 8, lb 2, w 1, nb 5): 16

Total (1 wicket; 90 overs): 387

Fall of wickets: 1-42

Ludhiana, November 29
Northern Eastern Railway, Gorakhpur, survived a scare before romping home victors against Amritsar XI 2-1 to register their maiden victory the third day of the XIIth All-India Mohinder Partap Singh Grewal Memorial Hockey Tournament being played here at the Prithipal Singh Memorial AstroTurf Stadium of the Punjab Agricultural University campus here today. Yesterday, NER eves were held 2-2 by HMV Dhanoa XI.

Northern Eastern Railway players surged ahead in the third minute as Jiwan Jyoti scored a field goal. They earned three penalty corners which went abegging while Amritsar eves too forced four penalty corners but failed to avail any of these chances.

NER managed to increase the lead with just minute before the half time when Jiwan Jyoti again found the target to make it 2-0. In the second session, Amritsar XI, after wasting a couple of scoring chances secured a penalty corner in the 56th minute off which Amandeep Kaur sounded the board to reduce the margin (2-1).

In the second match, Chandigarh Academy recorded an easy 7-1 victory over MP Academy of Gwalior to register second win in a row. The winners were leading 3-0 at the breather.

For Chandigarh Academy, Ramneek contributed three goals, followed by Ritu Shah who scored a brace while Shivani and Jasjeet Kaur chipped in one goal each. The lone goal for the losers came off Lily’s stick in the 45th minute which salvaged some pride for the Gwalior outfit.

The third match played between last year’s runners up, Western Railway, Mumbai and HVM Dhanoa XI turned out to be a one-sided affair in which the former came out triumphant without being challenged 7-0. WR eves went into an early lead in the 3rd minute through a penalty corner conversion by Paulina Surin. Binita Kindo made it 2-0 in the 15th minute and three minutes later, international Sangaai Chann enhanced the lead (3-0.

Nishi Chauhan struck in the 41st minute and Asima Kispotta found the target to further cement the lead (5-0). Binita and Paulina Surin again struck in the 52nd and 67th minute, respectively, which sealed HMV Dhanoa eves’ fate (7-0).

BRIEFLY

If things continue like this I don't see many teams willing to come and play in our region.  — Sohail Tanvir on the effect of Mumbai blasts on cricket in the sub-continent.

Mohun Bagan beat United SC 2-0
Kolkata: With a vintage Jose Ramirez Barreto with his magical charm on display, Mohun Bagan strolled past United SC 2-0 to inch closer to leaders Sporting Clube de Goa in the ONGC I-League table. Displaying sheer dominance right from the start, the Karim Bencherfia boys never gave any chance to United SC and made it a no-contest, banging in both the goals by 30 minutes at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan at Salt Lake here on Saturday. The old magic of Barreto and Bhutia did honours for Mohun Bagan who thus registered six wins on the trot, with their first one coming against reigning champions Dempo SC. — PTI

Aymar, Amat Hockey Players of the Year
NEW DELHI: Argentina’s Luciana Aymar and Spain’s Pol Amat were crowned as World Hockey Players of the Year 2008 in Los Angeles, US. Dutch Maartje Paumen and Australian Eddie Ockenden received the World Hockey Young Player of the Year 2008 awards. All four hockey stars were present to receive their awards. According to information received here, the awards were presented by FIH president Els van Breda Vriesman during the special ‘Emmy Awards’ type of show. All players who participated at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing last August were able to vote for their favourite. — UNI

England’s Test kits left at terror-hit Taj
LONDON: The terror attack at the Taj Hotel has created another problem for the England cricket team, which has left its kit there with skipper Kevin Pietersen saying that they may have to play the Test series in blue. The players had left their Test kits at the terror-hit hotel before the seven-match ODI series. “If we’re looking what’s going on at the moment, all our cricket stuff is in storage at the Taj hotel so we’ll be the first team to play a Test match in blues (one-day kit) that’s for sure. So I don’t know. If we do come back, we’ll have to get all the logistic stuff sorted out first,” Pietersen said. — PTI

Sorenstam shines in Lexus Cup
SINGAPORE: Annika Sorenstam produced a touch of brilliance to ensure her International team go into the Lexus Cup singles matches tied 6-6 with Asia, the Swede’s eagle at the last earning a vital point in Saturday’s fourballs. Playing in her final LPGA-sanctioned event before she retires, the former world number one had been a spectator as Norwegian playing partner Suzann Pettersen kept the pairing. Korean duo Park Inbee and Jin Eun-hee had forged a two-hole lead by the ninth hole but Pettersen’s relentless back-nine charge drew the teams level before Sorenstam secured a 1-up win with an amazing shot. — Reuters

Anorthosis chief in custody
NICOSIA: Andreas Panteli, president of Champions League contenders Anorthosis Famagusta, is being held in custody over alleged financial irregularities at the Cypriot club. The police said he was arrested late last night after a complaint by members of the board over the alleged theft of $541,400 and a separate attempt to extract 500,000 euros. The 48-year-old Panteli denies the allegations. “Mr Panteli is in police custody and will appear in court on Saturday where the police will request a period of eight days in custody pending further investigations,” a police spokesperson said on Saturday. — Reuters

PCA concerned over players’ safety
LONDON: Professional Cricketers Association (PCA) chief executive Sean Morris will meet England captain Kevin Pietersen and the rest of the team when they come to Heathrow on Saturday evening with the message that “cricket is no longer at the top of the agenda”. “The players want to spend some time with their families, who are obviously concerned with the situation in India. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the security experts will carry out a full review and analysis of the situation out there. Then we will sit down with the players and discuss the situation. — UNI