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Oh Brothers!
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Husseys lay Kiwis low
Saina hopes to be fit by All-England
Naghmi to file defamation suit
Stage set for Rural Olympics
India won't succumb to pressure: Yuvraj
Pathan brothers brought us back into the game: Dhoni
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Oh Brothers!
Colombo, February 10 Chasing a stiff target of 172, Irfan (33 not out) and Yusuf (22 not out) scored 59 runs from 25 balls in the tense final moments to steer India home in a pulsating floodlit contest at the Premadasa Stadium here. Suresh Raina (35) and Yuvraj Singh (32) were the other notable performers for the visitors as India capped their brief tour of Sri Lanka with a stunning victory in the Twenty20 game in addition to their 4-1 ODI series triumph. Earlier, captain Tillekaratne Dilshan led from the front, smashing his maiden half century to guide Sri Lanka to 171 for four after he won the toss and elected to bat. Veteran opener Sanath Jayasuriya contributed a quickfire 17-ball 33 in the first Twenty20 match between the two sides. Disaster struck India just as they began the run chase with both the openers returning to the pavilion at 14 for two after facing just seven balls. In-form Gautam Gambhir (13) showed his aggression clobbering Lasith Malinga for three fours in first over before disaster struck in the form of Virender Sehwag's wicket. Sehwag (1) was beaten by a Chamara Kapugedera direct throw after Gambhir had played a Malinga delivery on the off-side in the last ball of the first over. Gambhir fell for 13 in the first ball of the second over while trying to pull Thushara over mid-wicket only to find the top edge snapped by Kaushalya Weeraratne at mid-on. One-down Raina and Yuvraj played sensibly curbing extravagant shots but hitting odd balls to boundary and at the same time keeping the asking rate well under manageable level. The left-handed duo revived the Indian innings by sharing an 87-run stand for the third wicket in seven overs before the former was out for 32 off Jehan Mubarak in the ninth over. Dilshan's smart change of bowling paid off, with Yuvraj inducing a thick edge to Dilshan while trying to play a cut shot at the back foot. Yuvraj hit three fours and two sixes in his 21-ball innings. With the required run-rate down to less than eight, Indian batsmen should have saved the wickets but Raina paid the prize of playing an ambitious shot. — PTI Scoreboard Sri Lanka innings: Dilshan c Raina b Ishant 61 Jayasuriya c I Sharma b Irfan 33 Mubarak c & b Yousuf 13 Kapugedera c Sehwag b Yousuf 16 C Silva not out 21 Weeraratne not out 10 Extras (b 1, lb 10, w 6): 17 Total (4 wickets; 20 overs): 171 Fall of wickets: 1-59, 2-87, 3-107, 4-152 Bowling: Zaheer Khan 4-0-34-0, Ishant Sharma 4-0-40-1, Irfan Pathan 4-0-34-1, Yousuf Pathan 4-0-23-2, Ravinder Jadeja 4-0-29-0. India innings: Gambhir c Weeraratne b Thushara 13 Sehwag run out 1 Raina c de Saram b Bandara 35 Yuvraj Singh c Dilshan b Mubarak 32 MS Dhoni b Bandara 13 Rohit c Mubarak b Jayasuriya 4 Jadeja b Bandara 5 Yousuf not out 22 Irfan not out 33 Extras (lb 2, w 14): 16 Total (7 wickets; 19.2 overs): 174 Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-14, 3-81, 4-99, 5-108, 6-110, 7-115 Bowling: L Malinga 3.2-0-38-0, T Thushara 3-0-27-1, D Fernando 4-0-44-0, K Weeraratne 1-0-12-0, J Mubarak 1-0-9-1, C Bandara 4-0-32-3, S Jayasuriya 3-0-10-1.
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Adelaide, February 10 Set to chase 245, Australia rode on fine half-centuries from Hussey brothers to win the fourth ODI with 10 balls to spare. Michael Hussey joined his brother with Australia at 101 for three but both the batsmen took the hosts to safety and within sniffing distance to the Kiwi score. Michael was more dominant of the two brothers as he struck four boundaries and two sixes, the second one coming off Kyle Mills which finished the match, in his 71-ball stay at the wicket. David was more keen to play cautiously and in his 96-ball innings had six well-timed boundaries but was finally dismissed by pacer Iain O'Brien in the 45th over of the Australian innings. Last match's centurion, Brad Haddin (43) was once again looking solid to go on for another big score but a mix-up in the middle with David Hussey put paid to his chances. While going for a second run, Haddin was sent back by Hussey and the opener fell short of crease as Brendon McCullum dislodged the stumps in a flash after he received a throw from the third-man. Earlier after electing to bat first, New Zealand were off to a slow start but they lost wickets regularly and it was only because of Ross Taylor's 71-ball 76 that allowed the visitors to reach 244 for eight at the end of their innings. Martin Guptill (45) and McCullum (33) had given a good start to the New Zealanders but the middle order failed to capitalise on the platform laid by the Kiwi openers. For Australia, Mitchell Johnson picked up three wickets while James Hopes claimed two victims. The series decider will be played in Brisbane on February 13. — UNI Scoreboard New Zealand innings: McCullum b Clarke 33 Guptill c Bracken b Johnson 45 Fulton c Bracken b Hopes 5 Taylor c Haddin b Johnson 76 Elliott c D Hussey b Johnson 26 Cumming c Johnson b Hopes 0 Broom c Hopes b Hilfenhaus 11 Mills b Bracken 23 Vettori not out 6 Southee not out 7 Extras (lb 2, w 10): 12 Total (for 8 in 50 overs): 244 Fall of wickets: 1/69, 2/83, 3/86, 4/141, 5/141, 6/173, 7/226, 8/235. Bowling: Nathan Bracken 10-0-51-1, Ben Hilfenhaus 10-0-56-1, Mitchell Johnson 10-0-51-3, James Hopes 10-1-37-2, Michael Clarke 8-0-23-1, Cameron White 2-0-24-0. Australia (innings): Haddin run out 43 Clarke c Fulton b O'Brien 14 Ponting c Guptill b Southee 15 D Hussey b O'Brien 79 M Hussey not out 75 Ferguson not out 13 Extras (lb 1, w 6, nb 1): 8 Total (For 4 wickets in 48.2 overs): 247 Fall of wickets: 1/29, 2/57, 3/101, 4/216. Bowling: Kyle Mills 9.2-2-30-0, Tim Southee 10-0-61-1, Iain O'Brien 10-0-54-2, Daniel Vettori 10-0-54-0, Grant Elliott 9-0-47-0.
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Karachi, February 10 The senators tore into Butt and other officials at a special hearing yesterday and blamed them for the poor state of affairs in the cricket board. But Butt made it clear he had no intentions to resign. "Why should I resign? I will continue to work until I enjoy the confidence of the chief patron of the board (President Asif Zardari)," he told reporters after the hearing. "Me and my team are doing everything to streamline cricket affairs in the country and for this we need some time. We can't produce results overnight," Butt, a former Test player, said. Butt plans to hold a press conference to clarify certain points made after the Senate hearing. "I think some people have misrepresented facts of the proceedings at the Senate hearing. I will try to set the record straight at my conference," Butt claimed. The PCB chief said there was a lobby in the Board trying to gun him down. "The situation in the board is not as gloomy and bad as is being made out after the Senate hearing. I will also disclose some facts about what is happening," Butt said. He admitted that after the Senate hearing, where he had an exchange with former captain Javed Miandad, it would be difficult for him to have Miandad working again in the board. Miandad had resigned as director general claiming that Butt had not given him the promised powers and authority in the board. The Senate had summoned the former captain for the hearing where he denied Butt's claim that he had asked for Rs 1.6 million salary. Butt said he would leave the decision to whether restore or offer a new contract to Miandad to the governing council of the board.
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Saina hopes to be fit by All-England
New Delhi, February 10 "I was feeling a slight pain since last May but I ignored it and kept on playing. And it was during last month's Korean Super Series that I aggravated my injury. "But I didn't think the injury was so bad and it was only yesterday morning when physio Heath Matthews examined me that he suggested that it would be better if I skip the nationals or else it might affect my chances of playing in tournaments later in the year. "I just want to get back in shape before the All-England Super Series. I am really looking forward to playing in the tournament," Saina said. Saina has been advised two weeks' rest. “I'm just running and doing other exercises but I am not doing anything at the moment that involves moving my right shoulder. I will be out of action for the next 2-3 weeks," said the world number 10. "My body is fine and my form is also good at the moment, so there are no major concerns apart from this injury. I am working on it and, hopefully, it will be alright within the next three weeks so that I can give All-England my best shot," Saina added. Meanwhile, Chetan Anand has also decided to skip the nationals owing to a thigh injury. The shuttler complained of interphalangeal joint pain and is hoping to be back for the German Grand Prix on February 24. “I have been carrying this pain for the last six months and that's why my performance at Malaysia and Korea suffered. “I am the world number 13 at the moment and the international schedule is very hectic this year, so I didn't want to take risk and decided to give myself time to recover completely,” Chetan said. "I have been taking this treatment for the last 10 days. I am 80-85 per cent fit but, hopefully, I will be fine within a week, so that I can play in the German open," he added. Chetan said he is very disappointed to miss the Nationals as it would have given him a chance to go for a hattrick of titles. — PTI
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Naghmi to file defamation suit Former chief operating officer of Pakistan Cricket Board, Shafqat Naghmi, has decided to file a defamation suit against current PCB chairman Ejaz Butt for levelling charges of financial mismanagement against him. Naghmi said he would file the defamation suit against Butt and senior PCB officials later this week. "I will claim a public apology from them and one rupee in damages to show these people what I think they are worth," Naghmi said. Naghmi appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Sports to respond to allegations of financial mismanagement and misuse of power made against him by the present PCB chief and other senior officials. He made a strong defence of his case at the Senate hearing, particularly to allegations that he had misused his position/funds and fudged accounts of construction/renovation work of an enclosure at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore. "This board does not deserve to remain in power. They don't know what they are doing. The defamation suit is meant to expose them before the public," Naghmi said. He said considering the serious nature of the allegations he could have claimed millions of rupees in damages. "But I will claim one rupee damage just to make the point what I think about these people," he said. — PTI
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Stage set for Rural Olympics
Ludhiana, February 10 India’s top athlete of National and international repute will be seen in action during the four-day sports extravaganza. Though the events will begin on February 12, the formal inauguration will be held on February 13 by former MLA Bikramjit Singh Majhitia. The rural festival attracts participants from all over Punjab as well as other states. The sports festival was started in 1933 by farmers in the adjoining areas and has seen the participation from competitors from all age groups. Addressing a press conference Sukhvir Singh Grewal said Grewal Sports Association would distribute prize money worth Rs 11 lakh approximately during the annual event. |
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India won't succumb to pressure: Yuvraj
Colombo, February 10 The architect of India's triumph in the inaugural edition of 2007 ICC Twenty20 World, Yuvraj said the pressure of coming in as defending champions would not weigh on his mind or that of his teammates. "There is always pressure on defending champions. But our side does not get weighed down by expectations. We just enjoy playing as a team and, generally speaking, our form in Twenty20 cricket has been good," Yuvraj said. India will face Bangladesh and Ireland in the group stages and Yuvraj is happy with the teams for the event scheduled in June. "It does seem like a good group. I wouldn't say it's an easy group because Twenty20 is a very unpredictable form of the game. On their day, any side can perform. I've always enjoyed playing in England the weather is great and the crowds are good. "Also playing away from home, there is less pressure from the media. I'm really looking forward to the event. It should be a good one," the left-hander was quoted as saying by an ICC newsletter. Recalling his sensational form in the 2007 event, Yuvraj said nothing could really match the feeling after winning the title. "Winning the World Twenty20 was the pinnacle and nothing can beat that memory or that moment. But it was not just me there are others that helped us achieve that. There were some real highlights, like the match against Australia, the game against Pakistan in the group stages where the result was decided by the bowl-out and obviously I enjoyed hitting six sixes in an over," he said. Yuvraj created world record by hitting England pacer Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over, soon after an exchange of words with all-rounder Andrew Flintoff. — PTI
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Pathan brothers brought us back into the game: Dhoni Colombo, February 10 “It was tough match, both when we were bowling and when we were batting as well. We played a couple of bad shots in the middle of the innings and the pressure came back to us. “It was tough to score runs against the spinners as the ball was turning a lot. At one point of time, it even became difficult to rotate strike. But we have to keep that in mind as it was a good learning for us. The Pathan brothers brought us back into the game,” Dhoni said after the match. Man-of-the-match Yusuf, who picked up two wickets during the Lankan innings and scored a breezy 22 to set the foundation for the victory, said he was just playing his natural game. “It was good day for us brothers, we batted well and played good cricket. When captain gave me the ball, runs were flowing pretty fast, so I just thought not to give any room to the batsmen and that really worked," he said. “During batting when I found balls landing in my area, I just went for my shots,” he added. Sri Lankan skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan also admitted that it magical partnership between the Pathan brothers took the game away from the hosts. “I was really happy with 171. Me and Sanath gave the start and the middle order also played well. “But unfortunately I got out in the 16th over. If I was there till the end, then we could have added 16-20 more runs and that would have been handy. With the two early Indian wickets we started well but Yusuf and Irfan batted really well and took the game away," he said. He also expressed happiness with the performance put up by the youngsters. “I was happy with performances of the youngsters. They gave a good fight.”
— PTI
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New Delhi, February 10
