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Pakistan keeper Haider announces retirement
Haider did not come to team management for help: Intikhab
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Spotlight on Yuvraj as Punjab face Karnataka
Hamilton still chasing title dream
Punjab Special Olympics from November 12
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Pakistan keeper Haider announces retirement
Karachi, November 9 "My family is also still getting threats. I have decided to retire because there is lot of pressure on me and I can't take it," he added. In the only Test of his career, Haider had scored 88 runs at an average of 44. His ODI career comprised just four matches and he made 48 runs at an average of 24 in the format. In the three Twenty20 Internationals that he played, Haider scored 23 runs at an average of 7. Haider left the team hotel in Dubai yesterday in mysterious circumstances and flew to London with the Pakistan Cricket Board later announcing it would be holding an inquiry into the whole matter. "I will be sending a letter to the PCB to inform them about my decision to retire," he said. Haider also confirmed that the person who approached him to fix matches had met him outside the team hotel and that he got a feeling that there were others with him. "You will get lot of money if you cooperate with us but if you don't cooperate with us you wouldn't remain in the team and there will lot of problems for them." Asked about reports that he was planning to take political asylum in the United Kingdom, Haider declined to to comment. "I think you should speak to the immigration authorities about this but I have decided nothing as yet." ‘I was told there'd be a problem’
London: After sensationally deserting his team midway through a series, Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider today sought political asylum in the UK due to the threats he received for refusing to fix an ODI against South Africa in Dubai. Haider fled to London on the day of the fifth and final one-dayer of the series against South Africa which Pakistan lost 2-3 last night. The 24-year-old, who hit the winning runs in the fourth ODI, claimed that he received threats for not agreeing to fix the match and met immigration officials at the Heathrow airport for close to five hours last night. "I understand there is a rule in Britain that if you are right and if you are not a criminal, then they always protect you," Haider told 'Geo News'. Haider said he received a message asking him to be a part of a match-fixing conspiracy ahead of the fourth one-dayer but refused to reveal the identity of the person who approached him. "I was approached by one person who asked me to fix the fourth and fifth match and there would be problem for me if I did not do it," Haider said. "I do not want to say who is involved and who is not involved in the match fixing," he added. "The country is like a mother and anyone who sells it cannot get anything in life. I did not want to sell my mother, I did not want to sell my country and I did what I thought was better." Haider took his passport from the team management after the fourth ODI on the pretext of buying a mobile connection but instead fled to London. "I did not do what I was asked to do in the fourth one-dayer and I also did not let it happen what was being asked to do, so this is the reason that I left the team and came here and I did what I felt better," he added.
— PTI |
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Haider did not come to team management
Karachi, November 9 "No he didn't inform me or anyone in the management about what was going on. He didn't come to us for help," Intikhab said from Dubai. "I am not a magician to know what is going on in the mind and heart of a person. We had no idea what he was up to or thinking," the former Test captain said. Haider fled the team hotel in Dubai hours before the fifth one-dayer to reach London, claiming he was getting threats for not co-operating with a person who wanted to fix the one-day series. Intikhab said that the young keeper had taken his passport from him on the pretext of obtaining a new SIM for a mobile connection. "He told me he wanted to get a new SIM. How is the management supposed to know what is going on his mind," he questioned. Intikhab also refuted suggestions that there was a trust deficit between the players and the management due to which Haider didn't report the threats to them.
— PTI |
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Kallis predicts good World Cup for SA
Dubai, November 9 Kallis said next year's tournament, which will be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, could be his last shot at the elusive crown, which South Africa have never won. "It might be my last World Cup," he said. "Obviously we haven't had the success that lot of us would have liked (in the World Cups). "But I really believe that this team (has) got something special going at the moment and if we just carry on playing the type of cricket that we playing, there is no reason why we can't do well." South Africa have won only the 1998 Champions Trophy title since they were re-admitted to international cricket after a lengthy ban due to aparthied. Kallis, who is the only survivor of that victory in Bangladesh and featured in three World Cup failures in 1999, 2003 and 2007, said he believed next year's World Cup will be different. "We got to take that game by game and enjoy. The message that I can give to guys is to really enjoy the World Cup, perhaps in the past we haven't quite enjoyed as much as we have playing normal games," he said. Kallis admitted not winning the World Cup was a big disappointment. "It is disappointing, but hopefully it can turn around and we can have one success. Probably the most important thing (is) that we put the hard work (in) and play the kind of cricket we have been playing for the last few months." — AFP
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Spotlight on Yuvraj as Punjab face Karnataka
Mohali, November 9 From being one of the most feared batsmen on a cricket pitch anywhere in the world, to a man struggling to find his way into the national side; Yuvraj Singh, by all means, is a man on a mission as he gets set to spearhead the Punjab batting lineup when they face off against a dynamic Karnataka side at the PCA Stadium in Mohali for their Ranji Trophy match from tomorrow. The home team had drawn their last game against Uttar Pradesh, but gathered just one point. So their task, and aim, will be a pre-determined one from here on. The likes of captain Pankaj Dharmani, coming with a hundred behind his back, and Uday Kaul will be there to set the Punjab campaign rolling. They will also be banking heavily on Manpreet Gony, who comes in for Luv Ablish, and his aides, including Navdeep Sidhu, who impressed with a four-wicket haul in the previous game. But Karnataka will not be a side to be fazed by names, or even big names, for they have plenty of their own. In Rahul Dravid’s absence, the team will be led by pacer R Vinay Kumar. Another big name in their ranks is hard-hitting Robin Uthappa, the former India man, just like Yuvraj, who is trying to knock as hard as possible on the doors of the Indian team, as the final squad for the 2011 World Cup takes shape. Vinay Kumar will also have the likes of Abhimanyu Mithun, Stuart Binny and Manish Pandey at his disposal to make inroads as his side look to make a winning start to their Ranji campaign.
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Maradona visit sparks China coaching rumours
Beijing, November 9 Maradona did not exactly kill off the rumors, telling the popular news website Sina.com that club team Shanghai Shenhua had not contacted him, but he would be willing to meet. Spanish-language news agency, EFE, reported that Maradona would be open to the idea of coaching the national team, but Maradona's spokeswoman in China, Tang Qinghui, said his visit was focused only on charity work. "Maradona definitely has not met with any Chinese football clubs during this trip to talk about any offers or related matters," Tang said. "In a country of 1.3 billion people, why isn't there high-level national team," he told Chinese reporters. The country's notoriously scandal-plagued football federation has been riddled with violence, bribery and match fixing, obstacles that had choked player development and kept the national team mired at 89 in the world rankings. Maradona had been out of coaching since taking Argentina to the quarterfinals of this year's World Cup, ending a rocky spell in charge of the national team. Argentina's football officials offered to keep him on provided he jettisoned several unpopular assistant coaches. He refused and his contract was not renewed, and last week, interim coach Sergio Batista was confirmed as head coach. Maradona had also been rumored to be in line for the Iran national team job after Iranian football officials invited him to the country and a possible visit with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. — AP
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Hamilton still chasing title dream
"I don't give a damn about any of those three. At the end of the day, I am still in it so I will give it a shot. They have a lot more to lose than I have," the Telegraph quoted Hamilton, as saying. "I won't be looking up at them or letting them pass. I am going to Abu Dhabi to try to win. We don't have the fastest car, but I could be riding in fourth and all three don't finish," he added. The 25-year-old however did say that if the title proves beyond him he would like to see it go to Webber. "Mark has done a great job this year and he has been told by his team what position he is in. Against adversity he has kept at it. I want to see Mark win," Hamilton said. Heading towards the final race of the season, and a maximum of 25 points to be won under the new scoring system, Hamilton (222 points) is 24 points behind Ferrari's title leader Fernando Alonso (246 points). Red Bull's Mark Webber is at second place with 238 points, while his team-mate Sebastian Vettel is third with 231 points. — ANI
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Seville, November 9 Unai Emery's team put up strong resistance until Negredo came on in the 53rd. One minute later, the striker jumped on the rebound from Careces' shot to score the opener. Alfaro sealed the victory by heading in Mouhamadou Dabo's cross from the right in the 77th. "We had the ball, but we couldn't find the space to attack with precision, but luckily the play of the goal arrived and I could score," Negredo told the Spanish television channel La Sexta. "Then Alfaro put the game away." Sevilla is now level with fifth-place Valencia on 17 points, but is behind on goal difference. Real Madrid stayed top with 26 points after continuing its 11-year unbeaten streak against cross-town rival Atletico Madrid with a 2-0 win on Sunday. Barcelona held on to second with 25 points after handing Getafe a 3-1 defeat, while Villarreal kept pace in third with 23 points with its 4-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao. Sevilla has yet to lose at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium this season, while Valencia is now winless in its last four outings. Sevilla controlled possession early on and took advantage of Diego Perotti's speed on the right flank. The Argentine winger soon found Luis Fabiano, who tested goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez with a point-blank strike from close range in the 11th. — AP
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Punjab Special Olympics from November 12
Hoshiarpur, November 9 More than 500 special children from 22 special schools of Punjab and Sarv Shiksha Abhyan have confirmed their participation. They will compete in 22 athletic events and 9 team games. Rayat Bahra group has been very kind to sponsor food, boarding lodging and play grounds for this mega event. Chairman, District Special Olympics Association, Dr Kuldip Singh said in a press conference here that these games athletes shall qualify to participate in the National Special Olympics. |
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‘Hussey safe for Ashes opener’