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Now, Lankan player under ICC lens
Afridi, the man Majeed couldn’t net
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Bhupathi crashes out
Showdown nears for Federer, Soderling
BCCI backs JCD Cricket League
Hooper worried about timeline of CWG projects
IPL to have 74
matches
Indifferent treatment to poor cousins
Sahaj claims second win in sub-junior chess meet
Alok wins billiards title
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Now, Lankan player under ICC lens
London, September 5 Sri Lankan players passed on their concerns to the captain, who followed ICC protocol by contacting the anti-corruption unit. The player has since been investigated by the Sri Lankan police, although no charges have been laid, British daily The Guardian reported today. However, Sri Lanka Cricket has kept the entire matter away from the public spotlight by concealing the entire police investigation surrounding the player. The player concerned has been under the ICC's scanner since the Twenty20 World Cup in England in 2009. The officials from the ICC's anti-corruption unit are said to be dismayed at the lack of progress. "The (anti-corruption unit's) working is not that of a policing agency or a newspaper. They have no power to arrest or seize, or carry out a sting operation. "Getting international players to question the honesty of one of their own team-mates is a considerable challenge, but it is essential if the ICC is to root out corruption," Haroon Lorgat, the ICC's chief executive, said. Butt a liar, says Rameez Raja
Former Pakistan captain Rameez Raja has called Salman Butt a "liar" and ridiculed the suspended cricketer's defence against allegations of 'spot-fixing' as a "big joke". "Salman Butt's claims are a joke, a big joke. If you are implicated, you've got to come out straight away and say, 'I've not done this, I don't care what the allegations are, I'm not involved and that is the truth'," Raja told 'The News of the World', which has exposed the scam with a sting operation. "He has not done that, he has come across as a big liar. I am so heavily and thoroughly disappointed by Pakistan's captain," he added. Raja said for any match to be fixed, captain's involvement has to be there and Test skipper Butt cannot claim innocence in the face of some damning evidence produced by the newspaper. England tour is on: Pak Team Manager
Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed today said there was no threat to their remaining England tour despite more revelations on match-fixing by British tabloid News of the World. Saeed refused to react on Yasir Hameed's interview to the tabloid in which he claimed to have said that almost all the Pakistan matches were fixed. Pakistan, who lost the Test series 1-3, are to play Twenty20 and One-day series in their remaining tour. — PTI
T20: England win toss, decide to field
Cardiff: England captain Paul Collingwood won the toss and elected to field against Pakistan in the first Twenty20 international here on Sunday.
This was Pakistan's first match since Test captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif were suspended by the International Cricket Council after newspaper allegations the trio were involved in a betting scam that saw no-balls deliberately bowled in last week's fourth Test at Lord's. For England, this was their first Twenty20 fixture since they beat Australia in the World Twenty20 final in Barbados in May. They were without Kevin Pietersen, the man of that tournament, after the batsman was dropped following a run of low scores and told to play county cricket in a bid to regain form ahead of England's defence of the Ashes in Australia starting in November. — PTI |
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Afridi, the man Majeed couldn’t net
London, September 5 In his numerous conversations with the undercover 'News of the World' reporter during a sting operation which has exposed a widespread betting scam, Majeed said he couldn't get Afridi on board in his shady dealings. “One player he does not want involved is Shahid Afridi, the veteran Pakistan captain in charge of the side in the one-day series. Afridi was not one of the players Majeed had in his pocket,” the tabloid reported. Revealing his dislike for Afridi, Majeed, during one of his conversations with the reporter, is quoted as saying, "I could have signed Afridi five years ago. All the other players I know, you know like brothers. When they're in England I see them every day. I go to Pakistan to stay with them. We are going out for dinner tonight actually, Edgware Road.. But he (Afridi) is the kind of player who you have to kiss his a**e every day if you want to manage him. And I am not that kind of person.” Afridi has the daunting task of leading Pakistan in the two Twenty20s and five one-dayers against England starting today in the middle of the raging controversy that has left his country humiliated in international cricketing circles. The dashing but volatile all-rounder has ordered his teammates to avoid reading newspapers which are full of sordid details about how the suspended trio of Test skipper Salman Butt and pacers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir took bribes from a bookie for 'spot-fixing'. “I've told the boys 'Don't read the newspaper - just focus on cricket'. I know the people in Pakistan are very upset and what's happened is very disappointing. I think this is very bad news," he said. He has also apologised on behalf of the implicated players to the fans. “On behalf of these boys I want to say sorry to all cricket lovers and all the cricketing nations." ‘ Trio should stay away from dressing room’Cardiff: Coming hard at the suspended trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammed Asif, Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi today said they should be kept away from the dressing room in the best interest of the team. — PTI
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Bhupathi crashes out
New York, September 5 Bhupathi and his Belarussian partner Max Mirnyi, seeded fourth, suffered a shock 4-6 6-3 6-7 (4) second round defeat in the men's doubles at the hands of unseeded Argentine pair of Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos. Later, he combined with Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova for his mixed doubles first round but lost tamely 4-6 2-6 to Estoina's Kaia Kanepi and Sweden's Robert Lindstedt. Kanepi and Lindstedt next play last year's finalists and second seeds Leander Paes and Cara Black. Bhupathi's defeat in the men's doubles has left Rohan Bopanna as sole Indian contender in the event as Paes has already exited after a first round defeat. Sania Mirza and Somdev Devvarman have already crashed out of their singles events. — PTI Clijsters storms into quaters
Defending champion Kim Clijsters eased past close friend Ana Ivanovic 6-2 6-1 to reach the last eight at the U.S. Open on Sunday. The match between the two former world number ones had been hotly anticipated at the Arthur Ashe Stadium but Ivanovic, who had shown signs of her best form in the earlier rounds after a difficult 18 months, seemed to lack confidence against the second seed. |
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Showdown nears for Federer, Soderling
New York, September 5 Swedish fifth seed Soderling, who lost the Roland Garros final to top-ranked Rafael Nadal, and world number two Federer each need one more victory to book a rematch on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts after third-round triumphs yesterday. "Everybody has been telling me since the draw came out I'm playing Roger in the quarters. It's still far ahead," Soderling said. "It's always difficult to play against Roger and I have played him a lot of times. In any tournament they play, Roger and Rafa will be the favorites, but there are a lot of players who can beat them." Five-time US Open winner Federer hit 13 aces and 31 winners in brisk winds that tested even his formidable skill to down 109th-ranked Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, and reach the last 16. "The wind was very strong. Tough conditions to play in, especially if you're down in the score," Federer said. "You could tell Mathieu was really struggling after being down. His serve, his returns, everything kind of falls into pieces. "It's really hard to stay positive when you're down and the wind is the way it is. You have to be careful, maybe not aim at the lines as much. After four games or so, I knew what I could do and what I couldn't." Soderling beat 48th-ranked Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 in gusty conditions that were remnants from Hurricane Earl's nearby brush a day earlier. "It was very tough. I was fighting the wind the whole time. During these conditions I played a pretty good match," Soderling said. Also advancing to the fourth round was Serbian third seed Djokovic, who eliminated US wildcard James Blake 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 to book a date with US 19th seed Mardy Fish. — AFP
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BCCI backs JCD Cricket League
Sirsa, September 5 He stated that he, along with his father Ajay Singh Chautala, met ICC president Sharad Pawar recently and apprised him about the efforts done by the JCDNCA for the promotion of the game. The BCCI, he said, gave its nod within three days of their meeting with Pawar. Former Indian Captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi will be the special guest of the opening ceremonies of the JCDICL-3 on September 6. Former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala will inaugurate the league. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will distribute prizes and will be the chief guest of the closing ceremonies on September 13. Digvijay Singh said four club teams from Pakistan, South Africa, UAE and Bangladesh and four Indian teams; Chandigarh Challengers, Indian Navy, Maratha Tigers and Sirsa Sizzlers will be battling it out for the league championship this year. |
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Hooper worried about timeline of CWG projects
New Delhi, September 5 Acknowledging that lot of work still needs to be done, Hooper said that they were yet to receive confirmation from the Organising Committee that the village or any of the venues are structurally safe and sound and that failure to do so could place one or two sporting events in danger. Thousands of athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations will start to arrive from September 16 to take up residence in the Games village and to start training at the venues. “Things are surely going to go down to the wire. It's a battle against time. If the Organising Committee failed to provide the safety certifications on time, if we can't get the documentation of the Games village and the venues on time, then a particular event or so may be in trouble," Hooper said. “Whether it's about venue safety at Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium or any other stadium, clearly we are all aware of the CVC report last month and implications of that report suggests sub-standard materials and fabricated case results. That's a matter of concern to us. "Despite many promises made by the government agencies to deliver the documentation to validate and verify all the buildings standards have been met, fire safety certificates have been issued, we (CGF) still have not been able to get them and that still remains a cause of great concern to us," Hooper told Karan Thapar in Devil's Advocate programme. Hooper said without the building certificates, he is unable to allay any fears from countries participating in the Games and that he has been assured by the OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi to get them early next week. "I am hopeful that based on the discussion with Kalmadi, we will soon have them, may be next week. That's a very critical issue to us and one that is very easy to allay the fears of Commonwealth Games Association. They (OC) should have it by now. They should follow the international rules," Hooper, one of the strong critic of the Delhi Games earlier, said. Hooper, however, strongly refuted the suggestion that postponement of the Games was the only option left with the organisers. "There is no question of changing the dates of the Games. No postponement. Not at all. Instead of panicking about it we should focus on getting things right. All things, building certificates, kitchen, catering, have to be done in an urgent manner and that's the message everyone should understand. "We have 28 days to go and we have to make sure that things that matter to the athletes put right. I know there would going to be some issues as we head for the Games. But key to have successful Games in place is to ensuring that we have right system in place here in India," Hooper said. — PTI
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IPL to have 74
matches
Mumbai, September 5 "There will be one league table with teams divided into 2 groups of 5 teams each," the BCCI secretary said. The IPL GC also decided to allow the original eight franchises to retain a maximum of four players, including three Indians, and fixed a salary cap of $ 9 million for each franchise to spend at the next players' auction set for the middle of November. Player contracts will be for a period of two years plus a one-year right of extension by franchise. Retention of players would result in reduced amount available with each franchise with amounts of $ 1.8 million per annum for the first player so retained, $ 1.3m, 0.9m and 0.5m for the other three players reduced from its kitty. This is irrespective of the actual player fee paid to each of these players, Srinivasan said. If a franchise retains four players, its salary cap will be charged by $4.5 million in each of 2011 and 2012 and it will have only $ 4.5m remaining to pay as player fees for the remainder of its registered squad. The IPL has added a rider to player retention saying the franchise and player must mutually agree to it as well as the player fee to be paid for 2011 and 2012 seasons. The IPL also fixed the salary of uncapped players at Rs 10 lakh per annum if they have not played so far or made/will make their first class debut in 2009-10 or 2010-11, at Rs 20 and Rs 30 lakh per annum for those who made their debut in 2006-09 seasons and in 2005-06 or earlier respectively. Each squad would consist of not more than 30 players, and only capped players plus any IPL player who has played more than 75 per cent of matches for his team in the 2010 season will feature in the auction. Pune and Kochi franchises who did not participate in the 2010 season can sign upto four players from the list of players who were not a part of the squad of any of the teams in the past three IPL editions. However the list of players who are available for such franchise will be provided by IPL based on the registered list of players," Srinivasan said. In another significant change, the Governing Council decided that all player contracts would be a tripartite agreement signed by the player, the franchise and the BCCI and all the contracts would be managed by the Board. Till now the agreement was between the player and the franchise only. — PTI One league table with 2 groups of 5 teams each Salary cap of $9 m for each franchise for next auction to take place in Nov original franchises to retain a maximum of four players |
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Indifferent treatment to poor cousins
Ludhiana, September 5 The rooms are too small for 16 players and are poorly lit and smelly. Having eight occupants in each room, there is little space left for movement while on the floors are dumped the players’ gear and personal belongings. They have been offered folding cots to lie down. “ You can see how we live here,” said one of the players casually. Pointing to the two stinking toilets adjoining the rooms, another player quipped, “Going to the toilet every morning is an ordeal and the experience gives us nightmares.” Members of the national team probably deserve better, he added philosophically while holding his nose to keep off the all-pervasive foul smell. Mosquitoes keep the players on their toes as they agonise over reports of rapidly spreading dengue in the area. The Two air conditioners are a relief though. According to the players, the ACs were fitted several weeks after they joined the camp and only after much of the summer was over. They had joined the camp on May 22. “ Even junior cricket teams are treated better while Ranji players are put up in three-star hotels,” they cribbed. They had no complaint with the diet though but the condition of the kitchen and the dining room could be better, they felt. The players have taken conditions in their stride. One of them cheerfully said, “ When all’s not well at the Commonwealth Games, we cannot really expect better treatment here.” They would try to give their best and win the international championship and hope that it would change the way they are treated.
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Japanese rider dies in secondary class race
Misano (Italy), September 5 Doctor Claudio Costa, part of the motorcycling world championship's medical team, told reporters the news. Riders in the premier MotoGP class were also informed after their race, won by Dani Pedrosa. "I found out now, when things like this happen nothing else matters," world champion Valentino Rossi told Mediaset television. "He was a lovely guy, it was a horrible accident." Suter's Tomizawa was travelling at full speed when he fell off before a corner and was hit violently by the bikes of Alex De Angelis and Scott Redding, who both also tumbled but looked relatively unhurt. A 13-year-old also died in a minor race before the Indianapolis MotoGP in the sport's last grand prix in August. Motorcycling has always been among motorsport's most dangerous pursuits given riders are often thrown from their bikes and run the risk of hitting objects or being struck by other riders. MotoGP, still generates huge speeds and officials said they decided to continue with the race after the crash because of the fear of other accidents if a red flag was suddenly shown. They added that Tomizawa was alive when he was taken from the track and rushed to a local hospital on Italy's east coast. He was pronounced dead soon after. The official news of his death had not filtered through before the start of the MotoGP race so the event went ahead. Rossi, who suffered a broken leg in an accident before the Italian Grand Prix in June, led riders in a tribute to another dead Japanese colleague Daijiro Kato earlier in the week in a ceremony at Misano. Kato, who lived in the Misano area, died after an accident at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2003. Rossi has worked hard with other riders to try to make the sport safer but has said there is a limit to how much they can do. — Reuters
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Sahaj claims second win in sub-junior chess meet
New Delhi, September 5 For top seed Sahaj, it was an easy victory against Bala Chandra Prasad Dhulipala of Andhra Pradesh who played the black side of a Sicilian defence. Sahaj enjoyed a better position right from the beginning and it did not take long before Dhulipala called it a day. Earlier, Sahaj beat Punjab's Sushant Manuja in opening round yesterday. Out of top 10 seeds, fourth D Yashas of Karnataka was the first to drop a point when he was held to a draw by N R Visakh of Tamil Nadu. Yashas was forced to split the point after he was put under pressure in the middle game. Delhi's Aryan Chopra and Harshal Shahi, however, did not had a good second round as both of them went down to higher ranked opponents. Shahi enjoyed a decent position before blundering against Anurag Mahamal of Goa, while Chopra found a tough nut in Mohammad Ashraf of Orissa. In the girls' championship being played simultaneously, there were no major surprises and top seed J Saranya of Tamil Nadu sailed through for the second time running at the expense of Andria D'Souza of Karnataka. Among higher ranked players, Anjana Krishna of Kerala was held to a draw by Priya V S S of Andhra Pradesh, a release said. Among the local girls, Arunima Kalra who recently qualified for Women's Premier Championship to be held later this year, converted her positional advantages against S L Parvathy of Kerala and remained in the leaders' pack. Giving her company, city-mate Madhurima Shekhar snatched full points against S Matta Theja Sahhethhe of Andhra Pradesh. The championships are being played under FIDE's Swiss rules and there are 11 rounds in all in both the sections. There are 172 participants in the open and 100 in the girls' section. — PTI |
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Alok wins billiards title
Pune, September 5 It was a tooth and nail battle in the summit clash which lasted five hours. Advani was defending the title while Alok was playing the title round after six years. In first frame Alok, playing with white ball, started the best-of-nine encounter on a winning note. Advani started grabbing top table position quickly but gave an open table to Alok. But latter failed to grab the opportunity and missed white in-off on very next shot scoring three points only. Advani then scored 135 break to seal the game in his favour 151-03. In the second frame, Alok replied with fast shots and smashed 152 break to level the match 1-1 and in the next frame Advani started with break but missed on 13 leaving cannon position for Alok. — PTI |
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The ICC’s anti-corruption unit has been monitoring the unusual activities of a leading Sri Lankan player after team members alerted their skipper Kumar Sangakkara of his late-night activities with a man believed to be an illegal bookmaker.
Mazhar Majeed claims to have almost the entire Pakistan cricket team in his pocket but the one man the alleged match-fixer could never get a hold on is the temperamental Shahid
Afridi.
Roger Federer and Robin Soderling moved closer to a US Open quarter-final showdown with
straight-set triumphs that also saw Novak Djokovic reach the fourth round. French Open runner-up Soderling broke 16-time Grand Slam champion Federer's streak of 23 Grand Slam semi-finals in a row with a quarter-final triumph on the Paris red clay over the Swiss superstar who had won their 12 prior matches.
India's failure to ensure that all the Commonwealth Games venues and the athletes' village comply with safety provision norms could jeopardise the organisation of the event, according to CGF CEO Mike Hooper, who said the organisers have allowed "things to go down to the wire".
Acknowledging that lot of work still needs to be done, Hooper said that they were yet to receive confirmation from the Organising Committee that the village or any of the venues are structurally safe and sound and that failure to do so could place one or two sporting events in danger.
Dehradun: