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ICC suspends tainted trio
Mohammad Aamir arrives at Kilburn police station in London on Friday. Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif face possible life bans after they were charged on Thursday under the ICC's anti-corruption code. — Reuters
As clock ticks, Dikshit and Kalmadi say all is well
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CWG expenses ridiculously exaggerated: Reddy
Maria Sharapova returns a shot against Iveta Benesova at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Thursday. — AFP
Zero tolerance for dope violators
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ICC suspends tainted trio
Five days after the scandal rocked world cricket, the ICC finally cracked the whip by suspending the tainted trio of Test captain Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir but declined to specify the charges brought against them. On a day marked by a war of words between the ICC and Pakistan, the spotlight was on the players as well who were subjected to a fresh round of interrogation by the Scotland Yard. The ICC said the three players had been notified officially of the offences they were alleged to have committed and had been provisionally suspended pending a decision on the charges.
“In accordance with the provisions of the code, this means they are immediately barred from participating in all cricket and related activities until the case has been concluded," the ICC said in a statement. “They have a right to contest the provisional suspension and a further opportunity to defend these charges at a full hearing before an independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal in accordance with Article 5 of the code," it added. Addressing a press conference here, ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat said after "due diligence", it was clear that the players had to explain themselves following a sting operation in which a bookie claimed to have paid them money for bowling no balls in a Test match against England. “The press suggested this week that why didn't the ICC act immediately? There was no specific cause to make us act yesterday. It was about taking legal advice, having teleconferences and examine the case," ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit chief Sir Ronnie Flanagan said in the press conference. Lorgat said the ICC would be "decisive" in its action but only after establishing the players' guilt. On whether criminal charges would be pressed against the players, Flanagan refused to comment. "It would be absolutely wrong for me comment to (on whether criminal charges would be brought). If the police find evidence, it is for the prosecuting authorities to make that decision. We would be absolutely wrong to make a comment on that. It's a complex investigation," Flanagan said. Lorgat rejected suggestions that the scandal was just the tip of an iceberg and that there was widespread corruption in cricket. "We can't work on hearsay or speculation. The vast majority of players are honest and on occasions, they are not, we deal with it," he said. Asked whether 'spot-fixing', which involves rigging events within a match, is widespread, Lorgat said: “We don't believe that it is widespread and in few instances where a few might be committing something we don't want to see, we will act. Let's see what the evidence we have.” Spot-fixing cash found in Butt's belonging: Report
Cash used in the spot-fixing scandal during last week's Lord's Test is understood to have been found in the belongings of Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt, a report said. According to a report in The Daily Mail, Scotland Yard officers would question Butt today over how marked notes were discovered from his hotel room and in his locker at the Lord's cricket ground. The money is believed to have been part of £1,50,000 pounds handed over by an undercover News of the World reporter to the alleged fixer Mazhar Majeed, the newspaper said. The cash, given to Majeed for fixing three no-balls of the Lord's Test between Pakistan and England, is understood to have been secretly marked so that it could be later identified by the police. According to the report, the recovered money was undergoing forensic tests to confirm police suspicions that it came from the News of the World sting. “Early indications suggest the money found in possession of Butt originated from the sting. There are good reasons to believe this was the case," the newspaper quoted sources as saying. Take action against guilty: Tendulkar
Tendulkar said if the scam, which has come to light after an “expose” by British tabloid ‘News of the World’, turn out to be true it would bring “disrepute to the game”. “ICC should make a thorough probe in whatever had happened in England and take appropriate action if the players are found guilty. If the allegations are true, they will certainly bring disrepute to the game,” Tendulkar said. “I am no expert and not the one to comment while sitting here in India on something which happened in England. But certainly it has disappointed me,” he said when asked his view on the latest crisis to have rocked the game. Asked if he had heard of any Indian player being approached by bookmakers, Tendulkar said: “No, in my 21 years of international cricket, I have never heard of any Indian player being approached by bookies”.
— PTI
PCB names replacements
Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board today announced the names of young batsman Asad Shafiq and Muhammad Irfan as replacement of its suspended players, for the one-day series in England. Although ICC suspended Salman Butt, Mohammed Asif and Mohammad Aamir, the board gave out just two names.
— PTI Aamir's name to be dropped from ICC award nomination
London: The name of the suspended Pakistan paceman Mohammad Aamir will be removed from the list of nominees for the ICC Emerging Player of the Year award. The 18-year-old Aamir, who was one of the 16 cricketers nominated for the ICC award, was favourite to bag the honour. An ICC official told Cricinfo website that "Amir's removal from the list could be confirmed by 'reading between the lines'." The 2010 awards recognise cricketing achievement for the period between August 24, 2009 and August 10, 2010. During the time, Aamir bagged 33 wickets at an average of 31.45 in nine Tests and 16 wickets in 10 ODIs. He also became the youngest player to reach 50 wickets during the Lord's Test, which is at the centre of controversy.
— PTI |
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As clock ticks, Dikshit and Kalmadi say all is well
The OC chief said there may be "hitches" here and there but everything is on track to host a "good Games" which take place exactly a month later. Kalmadi and Dikshit, participating in a Games publicity function, said all the infrastructure in the city was ready and there was no reason to worry about the preparations, but sought greater public support for the event. “I am very optimistic.... Delhi is shaping up very well. We will have a great Games. The preparations are going on very well. It will be better, if we get support from you (the media)," Dikshit said. The OC chief, concerned over the negative publicity, sought public support, especially from the school and college students to make the event a success. "The infrastructures are in place. The sports infrastructure are in place. We are going to have a very good games. All the member countries representatives who had come here from abroad had gone back saying it will be good.” “The coordination commission of Commonwealth Games had come here and said everything is good. The president of CGF had come here and said every thing was good. So we have got everything good going. Now we need support from the people of the city, particularly from the school and college students," he said. The OC chief also complimented Dikshit for converting Delhi into a "world class city". "Sheilaji has made a real world class city. We have got a metro coming from the airport to Connaught Place, we have got a brand new airport terminal, got so many roads and flyovers, there may be some hitches here and there...," he said. Rejecting suggestions that tourist flow to Delhi may not be impressive during the event, Kalmadi said "tourist are going to come in a big way to Delhi". Two more star
athletes pull out
London: The Commonwealth Games continue to be dogged by star pullouts with 800m world record holder David Rudisha and double European long distance champion Mohammed Farah becoming the latest to withdraw from the event. Both Rudisha and Farah say they are too tired to compete. "I started my season early and was in shape and I maintained it until September. I believe I need time to rest and focus on next year," said Rudisha, who broke the 13-year old world record twice in a week recently. "I have come to realise that, in this profession, you do not need to wait for your body to tell you when to stop but rather have the instinct to stop when it is required," the Kenyan was quoted as saying in a UK website. "Next year has the World Championship and then we have the Olympics. I want to be in top form for both events." Farah said his body is also too tired to make the trip to India. "My body is telling me it is time to take a break," said the 27-year-old, who won gold for Britain in the 5000 and 10,000m at the European Championships in Barcelona.
— PTI |
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CWG expenses ridiculously exaggerated: Reddy
New Delhi, September 3 He also dismissed criticism of excessive expenditure on the Commonwealth Games and termed these reports “ridiculously exaggerated”. He said the central government had spent over Rs 11,494 crore and the Delhi government anywhere between Rs 600 and 700 crore. He said infrastructure in the capital had been expanded and strengthened and it would be wrong to term the money spent on it as a part of Commonwealth Games expenditure. The metro had been extended, roads had been expanded and new flyovers had come up, he said. He said world class stadia would be the lasting legacy of the Games besides the infrastructure and asked the media and public to celebrate the event. He said the positives of the Games had not got their due while reports had been rife with news of corruption and irregularities. Reddy said his government was giving attention to public transport system in urban centre as the traffic there was becoming a picture of chaos and an efficient public transport was the only way out.
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Top seeds march on
Roger Federer’s victim was Germany’s Andreas Beck. He won the match 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour 41 minutes. Maria Sharapova was also in a hurry, belting Czech Iveta Benesova 6-1, 6-2, but neither of the former champions could match the ruthless display from Caroline Wozniacki. The Dane needed just 47 minutes to inflict the dreaded 6-0, 6-0 “double bagel" on Taiwan's Chang Kai-chen and remain on course for a meeting with Russian Sharapova in the fourth round. Russia's Vera Zvonareva, Wimbledon finalist this year, and Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer, semi-finalist at the U.S. Open last season, also registered easy wins. Russian Nikolay Davydenko, however, was left punch-drunk after being hammered 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 by Frenchman Richard Gasquet. The casualty rate among the seeds in the first four days of the championship has been almost as brutal as the baking heat with 22 making early exits, including six more Thursday. Agnieszka Radwanska, Aravane Rezai and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez were sent tumbling out of the women's draw. Australian Sam Stosur extended her best-ever run at the U.S. Open when she beat Italy's Sara Errani 6-2, 6-3 to reach the fourth round.Number 11 seed Elena Dementieva recovered from a first-set slump to continue her strong record against Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova with 7-5, 6-2 win on Friday.
— Reuters Sania's campaign ends
Sania Mirza's US Open campaign ended after she lost her women's doubles first round along with Russian partner Vera Dushevina to 11th seeds Alisa Kleybanova and Ekaterina Makarova here. Already out of singles, Sania and her partner lost 7-6(6) 2-6 6-7(3) in the hard fought first round match.
— PTI |
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Zero tolerance for dope violators
New Delhi, September 3 The CGF has constituted a nine-member medical commission, headed by M Jegathesan of Malaysia, that will include eight members, drawn from the Commonwealth nations. The CGF has approved a test distribution plan of 15 dope control tests, 250 blood tests, 150 EPO tests and 150 pre-competition tests that would be the highest-ever in the history of the CWG. |
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London, September 3
London, September 3
Everybody makes mistakes but you can't hang them, you need to reform them and make them aware about the pitfalls of mixing with undesirable characters. There is a dire need to educate these cricketers.
— Kapil Dev
New Delhi: Disappointed at the spot-fixing scandal that has plunged the game into a crisis, Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar today said the International Cricket Council (ICC) should thoroughly investigate the matter and take action against accused players if found guilty.
New Delhi, September 3
New York, September 3
